Precipitation on Tibetan Plateau underestimated

Precipitation across the Tibetan Plateau, which is known as Asia's water tower, has been significantly underestimated, Chinese researchers said in a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences late last month.

The researchers, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, said the underestimation is caused by the measuring instruments used and the method of calculation, and called for a "redesigned precipitation observation strategy" to remedy it.

A substantial proportion of precipitation over the plateau falls as snow, often accompanied by strong winds.