Abnormal heat in the middle of winter
By Nigar Orujova
Abnormal heat is observed in Azerbaijan in the middle of winter. While the neighboring countries are covered with snow, Azerbaijani thermometers show a record temperature for the season.
But according to the Hydrometeorology Department of the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry, the temperature exceeded the norms only by 1.6-1.8 degrees.
Nevertheless, the temperature of 20 degrees above zero is unusual even for Azerbaijan, which possesses nine climatic zones.
Such weather has an adverse impact not only on people's heath, but also on animals, damaging agriculture, which already suffered last summer from scorching heat.
According to the Hydrometeorology Department, an increase of the water level has been observed in the downstream of Kura river, the biggest river in Azerbaijan, due to a rise of the water richness in the rivers floating to Kura. This stems from the relative temperature growth and gradual melting of snow in the lowland regions.
Warming in Azerbaijan
Scientists cautioned of global warming as one of the dangerous climate change aftereffects a long time ago.
Is the temperature rise in Azerbaijan connected to the drastic changes in the Earth environment?
Azerbaijani environmentalists rule out any relation between the rise in the air temperature and global warming.
"The moderate warm winter was predicted in Azerbaijan in advance by the Eastern Europe regional center," head of the Ecology Ministry's Climate Change and Ozone Center, Gulmali Suleymanov, said.
Such warm weather is caused by the air streams coming from the southwest, which blocks the northern polar air streams' passage to the country.
'City of winds'
No doubt, climate change has affected Azerbaijan and caused a decrease in the number of windy days and wind velocity.
According to Suleymanov, more powerful winds occurred in the regions of the country.
"Previously, there were strong winds in Baku as well. However, the capital has become less windy, some changes are happening. The number of windy days decreased, if one compares the windy days in Baku today with the situation 20-30 years ago," Suleymanov said.
Thus, Baku, which is informally called the "city of winds", has become windless because of the weather changes.
Distressing forecast
Temperature of 17 degrees in Azerbaijan was forecasted on Friday, however, the temperature is expected to fall to climatic norms in the near future.
However, the drops in temperature affect human health. A decrease from abnormal heat to cold weather usually seen in winter will affect meteo-sensitive people.
According to Adil Bakhshaliyev, the Scientific Research Institute of Cardiology head, atypical weather for the winter season can affect people's health.
The temperature was 1 degree below zero lately and now it has risen to 13-18 degrees above zero, and a human organism cannot adapt to such weather abnormalities. Such an abrupt jump in temperature may cause hypertonic crises, stenocardia, paroxysmal dyspnea, pulmonary edema and heart attack. People with sensitive blood vessels may have meteopathic reaction, Bakhshaliyev said.
Such temperature changes affect more negatively old people and people with health problems. Moreover, the number of catarrhal diseases increases as well.
Do not forget to look after yourself better in such changing weather conditions and stay healthy!