Due to global warming, temperatures in China might rise 1.3 to 8.9 degrees Celsius in the 21st century, and the average precipitation will increase by over 10 percent, a Chinese meteorologist said in Beijing Friday.

The conclusion was drawn from some 40 climate forecasting models, said Liu Hongbin, a researcher with the National Meteorological Center of China Meteorological Administration.

"The models show that if the emissions of greenhouse gases cannot be brought under effective control and the global population growth stays at a high speed, temperatures in China will rise 5.5 degrees Celsius on the average by the end of this century, and the precipitation will increase by 14 percent," Liu said.

However, if the global population growth could be well-controlled and further achievement be made in science and technology, China's average temperature will rise by 3.4 degrees Celsius and the precipitation will rise by 9 percent, Liu said.

The global temperature will increase by 1.4 to 5.8 degrees Celsius in the 21st century, according to forecasting models.

The 20th century was the warmest century in the past 1,000 years, and the last 20 years were the warmest years of the past 100 years. With more greenhouse gases emitted to the air, the global temperature will keep on rising, said Qin Dahe, director general of China Meteorological Administration.

(Xinhua News Agency June 5, 2004)