Northwest China's plateau province of Qinghai last year reported the second highest temperature since records began in 1961.
The average temperature was 3.5 degrees Celsius in 2017, 1.2 degrees Celsius higher than normal, said the Qinghai Meteorological Service.
The average temperature between December 2016 and February 2017 was minus 6.7 degrees Celsius, the warmest winter since 1961, the agency said.
The year of 2016 was the warmest year since 1961 with 3.7 degrees Celsius in average temperature.
