MINSK, 19 July (BelTA) – In the first half of 2018 air temperature in Belarus was above the climate average, Natalya Klevets, an official of the National Center for Hydrometeorology, Radioactive Pollution Control and Environmental Monitoring (Belgidromet) at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, said at a press conference on 19 July, BelTA has learned.
“The average temperature in the first half of the year was +5.6°C. It was 0.9 degrees above the climate average,” Natalya Klevets said.
January was warm relative to the climate average: the average temperature stood at -2.7°C. In the first ten days of January the mercury rose to + 4-8°C. “The average daily air temperature fell through to below zero throughout the country on 8 January, more than a month and a half later the usual time. This marks the beginning of winter in climatology. Steady snow cover established only by the end of January and held until the end of winter,” Natalya Klevets noted.
February was colder: the average temperature was - 6°C, which was 1.7 degrees below the climate average. The third ten days of February were especially cold. The lowest temperature this winter was recorded in Klichev: -30.4°C on 27 February. Belarus has not had such cold February for the last 25 years.
March was also cold with the average temperature at -2.6°C. This happens once in about five years. “The shift of the average daily temperature above zero, which means the start of spring in climatology, took place across Belarus on 23 March-1 April, which represents a delay of 5 to 11 days,” Natalya Klevets said.
April's average temperature was +10.5°C, 3.2 above the average. “This is the second time in the history of weather observation that we have had such a warm April. On 29-30 April the average daily temperature rose above 14°C across the country, which means the start of summer in climatology,” the representative of Belgidromet said.
May was the warmest month in the history of meteorological observation in Belarus. May 2018 saw the average daily temperature at +16.7°C, up 3.5 degrees higher than the average. The hottest May day was 30 May in Brest, with the temperature reaching 31.3°C.
June was also warmer than the climate average, with the average temperature at +17.6°C.
