Sometimes nature gives us unusually hot days. For example, these are exactly what the residents of the Urals could observe this summer. Air temperature at this time reached a record high. Among the possible causes of the anomaly were changes in the global climate, global warming, melting ice and others. In this article we tried to figure out why the heat was in the Urals for most of the summer? What was it connected with? And what event caused prolonged Ural heat?
Hot Weather Summary
From the first days of August in the Urals it was extremely hot. According to weather forecasters, during the first five days the air temperature rose to + 33 ... +35 º. And this is 7º above the norm and, of course, much more than the established maximum last year. According to preliminary data, similar anomalous heat in the Urals was observed earlier. But it was about the middle of June last year.
Closer to August, the air temperature jumped by as much as 6º (relative to normal). The peak of the exhausting drought occurred on the first of August. At that time, the air temperature in Perm increased to + 33.5º, and in the cultural Ural center - Yekaterinburg it reached + 34.8º… + 40º.
In the Astrakhan, Saratov, Volgograd, Rostov regions and the Kuban, the daily air temperature was at around 40-41º. Such hot weather, according to experts, was recorded in the summer of 2010. But how long will the heat in the Urals last ? What causes it? And how severe will its consequences be? That is what we will try to find out as much as possible.
The first information about the impending cataclysm
To say that the increase in air temperature in the Urals was a huge surprise is not necessary. Information that the upcoming heat in the Urals 2016 will break all records, first began to arrive in early July of this year during the next conference call of representatives of the Ministry of Emergencies.
Based on these data, all employees of the regional authorities and emergency services were notified. Therefore, it follows that a sharp increase in temperature was not a big surprise, with the exception of the civilian population. It was civilians who were completely unprepared for the unbearable summer heat.
What are the consequences of the hot weather?
Due to the fact that the abnormal heat in the Urals kept for a long time, it was she who caused numerous negative consequences. So, in some regions of Russia, drought led to a loss of cereal crops and the death of other cultivated plants. However, this applies only to those cities in which there was virtually no rainfall. In other regions where frequent rains were observed, the crop was saved. Moreover, heavy rainfall led to the premature opening of the "mushroom season." This positive moment most pleased summer residents and mushroom pickers.
In some areas, fires occurred due to the heat, and for a long time the fire safety class 4-5 remained in them. For example, it was in the south of the Urals, Pskov, Bryansk, Tula, Novgorod and Smolensk regions. A similar situation arose in the north-west of the Russian Federation. In particular, a high risk of fire was in the Republic of Karelia, the Arkhangelsk and Leningrad regions.
And, of course, the most detrimental effect was the heat in the Urals (2016) on the locals. Many of them literally lost consciousness on the street, work and transport. According to the residents of the Urals, the asphalt, of course, did not melt, but it was unbearably hot.
Safe road blocking
Due to the impending fire safety threat, representatives of the Chelyabinsk region patrol service decided to block the road on the following federal highways: R-254 Irtysh, M-5 Ural and A-310.
Recall that long-distance trucks regularly travel along these roads. For a similar reason, the highway was closed at the entrance to Yekaterinburg. All other drivers who wanted to drive along the planned path could only wait for the moment when the heat in the Urals would subside .
What caused the cataclysm?
The cause of temperature changes was the anticyclone. According to experts, as if he covered the Urals with a huge dome. As a result, the invisible cap became an insurmountable barrier for rescue Atlantic cyclones, who were forced to bypass the dome, moving along the north or south side.
In other words, the anticyclone blocked access to rains and coolness, condemning the inhabitants of the region to the dying heat. Many of them became ill due to heatstroke, others suffered from a pressure drop, some had drowsiness, apathy and a breakdown. Because of all this, most of them could not wait for the heat to subside in the Urals.
What do experts say about the weather?
Among the causes of the drought, which is unusual for the Russian climate, other processes can be distinguished. In particular? changes in the world's oceans play a huge role in the unstable behavior of the anticyclone returning every five years. In this case, we are talking about the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
According to experts, the processes taking place in these huge ponds resemble a kind of kitchen where warm and cold atmospheric fronts, anticyclones are prepared.
Consequently, the changes that have occurred in the oceans may well affect not only the weather in Europe and the Far East, but also affect most of Russia. Due to the blockage, cold air flows simply do not reach the ground. The heat, in turn, spreads evenly, causing negative consequences, for example, as an outbreak of anthrax in Yamal.
That's what the heat in the Urals is associated with , experts say.
Record figures and shocking data
According to data obtained from the Chelyabinsk Center for Environmental Monitoring and Hydrometeorology, a record heat was observed this year. In many regions of the Urals, it reached 30-36º, and even more. For example, the maximum temperature of 40-41º was recorded from August 1 to 5 on the territory of Katav-Ivanovsk, 7-11 - a similar one was noted in Verkhny Ufaley, and 8-11 - in Brodokalmak. Such sharp jumps in temperature were previously observed in 2000 and 2003.
Based on the information received, the experts were able to draw up a certain schedule of changes. According to it, the weather turned bad in the Chelyabinsk region, from where the heat in the Urals spread to other regions of Russia.
When did the temperature go down?
After numerous studies, experts concluded that dry weather would be short-lived. According to them, the temperature increase will stop and stabilize over time. As expected, the heat lasted until August 19-20 of this year. After this period, the air temperature dropped by about 5-10º. At the same time, summer has become more comfortable and familiar for many residents of the country.
The question why the heat in the Urals: "froze" no longer worries
After the predicted drop in temperature, the long-awaited rains poured in the Urals. They began, according to experts, from the Central Federal District and went further, affecting the territory of the Voronezh and Belgorod regions. After a full circulation of cyclones, torrential rains swept over the Nizhny Novgorod and Pskov regions.
Then a positive change in climatic conditions was felt by the inhabitants of Moscow. Let's just say that before that they were worried about the question of why the heat in the Urals . But after the weather changed, they had completely different interests, for example, many were puzzled by the purchase of umbrellas and raincoats. But the rainfall brought the greatest joy to representatives of the farm, worried about the safety of crops.
Further, according to weather forecasters, the cold front began to move towards Kaluga, Tver and Ryazan. Later, the cooling reached the Volga Federal District. Although a general decrease in temperature was observed for only a few days, further heat subsided and no longer returned. So, until the end of summer in the south of the Russian Federation, air temperature dropped to 27-28º. And the weather itself periodically pleased with small and sometimes heavy rainfall. That is how the climate changed immediately after the causes of the abnormal heat in the Urals were localized.
How useful were weather forecasts?
According to experts, the abnormal temperature change was successfully survived thanks to timely warnings from weather forecasters. And let them say that their forecasts often do not come true, this time they turned out to be 100% right. Since all representatives of the Ministry of Emergencies were warned, they only had to be on alert for a long time. As a result of their efficiency, it was possible to localize most of the fires that arose due to abnormal heat.
What autumn awaits the Russians?
According to the calculations of weather forecasters, the inhabitants of Russia, including the territory of the Urals, were waiting for the usual warm, sometimes rainy autumn. Air temperature is kept within the existing norm.
In the beginning of autumn there was a slight warming (the period fell on the “Indian summer” and “velvet season” for vacationers). Then a temperature decline was observed, a nebula appeared, but humidity was also within normal limits. As you see, this time the representatives of the Hydrometeorological Center of the Russian Federation were right.
Now you know why the heat in the Urals lasted for a long summer period.