Beijing residents have been walking around with a spring in their step and lightweight clothing as unseasonal warm temperatures raise hopes that the winter weather is over.

Yesterday's maximum temperature hit 15 ?C with a breeze of force 2 to 3 blowing from the northwest, said Chen Tingliang, an engineer at the Beijing Observatory.

The breeze caused the upper air to sink and helped raise temperatures above usual levels, Chen said.

The wind was expected to stop today and cause a slight temperature drop, but it will be still high - around 12 ?C.

The observatory reported the average temperature of the past week was about 4 ?C higher than the same period last year.

Temperatures will rise gradually in the future albeit with some fluctuations, Chen predicted.

Winds of force 4 to 5 will sweep Beijing and cause temperatures to drop to as low as 8 ?C on Friday, he said.

In spring, temperature changes are usually frequent and sudden in northern China, and people should be careful not to catch cold in this period, according to experts.

The Beijing Meteorological Observatory said the air in the city will remain dry, which increases the chance of getting respiratory problems such as flu.

Many areas in North China, East China and Northeast China have also reported warm winters this year.

Meteorologists said the warm winter has not only led to the early melting of ice and blossoming of flowers, but also the formation of dust storms and the spread of influenza.

Some Beijing residents have complained of finding mosquitoes in their homes - a month earlier than normal.

Officials with the Beijing Municipal Station of Health and Epidemic Prevention said the early wake-up of mosquitoes from their hibernation was due to the warm winter and high indoor temperatures.

But the threat of infection from spring mosquitoes is minor and residents can use mosquito-repellent incense to protect themselves, officials said.

Thanks to the warm weather, a tree-planting campaign will start soon, much earlier than in previous years, according to Beijing forestry departments. And pest-prevention will also be tough this year, they said.

Beijing saw unseasonably warm weather earlier in January with the temperature hitting 14 ?C on January 4 - the highest January weather for 40 years, experts said.

Warm winters in China began in the 1980s. Beijing had 13 consecutive warm winters between 1986 and 1998. But this winter is especially warm, according to meteorologists.

( China Daily February 27, 2002)