This winter in the Northern Hemisphere is the warmest winter since 1880

This year, winter resorts do not have visitors because there is no snow

This winter in the Northern Hemisphere is the warmest winter recorded for 125 years, a US government agency said. The surface temperature on the land as well as on the sea surface from December to February increased by 0.72C (1.3F) compared to the average.

The National Agency for the Sea and Atmosphere (Noaa) said that the El Nino warm water flow, which runs in many parts of the Pacific, has also contributed to warming this winter. The agency does not say that rising temperatures are a proof that people are involved in global warming.

Noaa said the temperature continued to rise by one fifth of the Celsius every decade. The ten warmest years recorded since 1995.

Meteorological experts predict that 2007 may be the warmest year recorded. Mr. Jay Lawrimore of Noaa's Climate Data Storage Center said: "Many factors have contributed to high temperatures in the long run as well as the warm water of El Nino in the Pacific Ocean." He added: "We are not saying that this year's winter is evidence of the effects of greenhouse gases."

However, Mr. Lawrimore said that the study is part of a research process conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which published a report in January. saying that " it is possible " global atmospheric changes are caused by human involvement.

Map of climate change

He said, "We learned through the conclusions that this warming momentum has occurred in part because of the increased amount of greenhouse gas emissions."

The IPCC Council concluded that at least 90% is due to emissions rather than natural changes on the surface of the globe.

Scientists predict that the temperature will rise from 1.8C to 4C by the end of the century, but there is also a speculation that it may only increase by 1.1C (2F) or maximum by 6.4C (11.5F).