In 2023, the weather never ceased to surprise Belarusians: either a drought or a downpour would hit the country, or an unexpectedly warm autumn, or early frosts. What was the climate characteristic last year, how much precipitation fell and how many hot days were recorded – this and much more was discussed at the press conference “Analysis of weather conditions that developed in the Republic of Belarus in 2023. Results of monitoring atmospheric air, surface water, soil, radiation monitoring” by the head of the climate change study department of the meteorological and climate monitoring service, the data fund of the Republican Center for Hydrometeorology, Radioactive Pollution Control and Environmental Monitoring (Belhydromet) Olga Baklanova.
According to the specialist, the temperature background throughout 2023 in Belarus was above normal.
“The average annual air temperature in Belarus in 2023 was plus 8.7 degrees. This year took third place in the ranked series of observations from the warmest to the coldest and 11th place from the wettest to the driest since 1881. This happened despite the lack of precipitation in some months,” Olga Baklanova noted.
The head of the department noted that the average air temperature in the winter season of 2022-2023 was minus 1.6 degrees. This figure is 1.8 degrees higher than the climatic norm.
“The past winter season took 9th place in the ranked series of observations from the warmest to the coldest since 1881. The maximum value – plus 16.4 degrees – the air temperature was reached during the day on January 1 at the Vysokoye station. The minimum air temperature was recorded at the Ezerishche station on February 23 and was minus 27.7 degrees,” the specialist reported.
The average precipitation for the winter was 187 mm, which is 152% of the climatic norm for the season. The winter season took first place in the ranked series of observations from the wettest to the driest season since 1945.
The average air temperature in the spring season of 2023 was plus 8.2 degrees, which is 0.9 degrees above the climatic norm.
“The temperature regime of the spring season was uneven. The average temperature in March and April was 1.9 and 1 degree higher than normal, respectively, and May was cold with a negative anomaly of minus 0.4 degrees,” said Olga Baklanova.
She explained that a stable transition of the average daily air temperature through 0 degrees to the upside – the end of winter and the beginning of spring in climatology – occurred in the west and southwest of the country from January 9 to 14. This is 1.5 months earlier than usual. In the extreme southwest, this transition occurred at the end of December 2022. In the south and extreme southeast of the country – in the second and third decades of February, and in the rest of the country this happened on March 11-14 – dates close to usual.
“During the spring, the average precipitation in the country was 121 mm, which is 86% of the climatic norm for the season. Precipitation was uneven throughout the spring in Belarus. Excessive moisture was observed in March – then 184% of the norm fell. Thus, March 2023 took 3rd place in the ranked series of observations from the wettest to the driest since 1945. At the same time, at the stations of Ezerishche, Vitebsk, Lepel, Senno, Kostyukovichi and Mozyr, the historical maximum of precipitation for the month was exceeded,” emphasized the head of the climate change study department of the meteorological and climate monitoring service, the Belhydromet data fund.
In April, Belarus had an average of 39 mm of precipitation, which was 102% of the climatic norm. A significant shortfall of precipitation was observed in May – only 12 mm of precipitation fell, or 19% of the norm. May 2023 was the driest since 1945. The previous record was set in 1971, when 26 mm fell. Historical minimums for monthly precipitation were exceeded in most parts of the country.
“The maximum air temperature was reached on May 26 at the Lelchitsy station, it was plus 28.9 degrees. The minimum air temperature was recorded at the Ezerishche station on March 10 and was minus 23.7 degrees,” the specialist added.
As Olga Baklanova reported, the average air temperature in the country for the summer of 2023 was plus 19 degrees, which is 1 degree above the climate norm. The summer of 2023 was the eighth in the ranked series of observations from the warmest to the coldest since 1881.
“Over the past summer, there were 26 to 48 hot days with temperatures of plus 25 degrees and higher, with the norm being 29 to 59 days. There were also 2 to 20 very hot days with temperatures of plus 30 degrees and higher, with the norm being 1 to 13 days,” stated the head of the climate change study department of the meteorological and climate monitoring service, the Belhydromet data fund.
She added that from June 15 to 25, an intense heat wave was observed in most of the country, with the exception of the southwestern regions of the republic. In June, there were also 1 to 5 days with a maximum air temperature of plus 30 degrees or more, with the norm for this month being 1 to 3 days.
“The average air temperature in Belarus for August 2023 was plus 20.7 degrees, which is 2.7 degrees higher than the climatic norm. August last year took second place in the ranked series of observations from the warmest to the coldest since 1945. I would like to note that this month there were several heat waves. The most intense was from August 13 to 21. In August, there were also 2 to 13 days with a maximum air temperature of plus 30 degrees or more. Also, on certain days, tropical nights were observed at many stations, when the minimum air temperature during the night was plus 20 degrees or more,” the specialist explained.
The maximum air temperature of the summer season was plus 34.5 degrees, it was recorded on August 6 at the Lelchitsy station. The minimum air temperature – minus 1.1 degrees – was recorded at the Poleskaya station on June 4.
“From June 1 to 27, in some places across Belarus, from June 1 to 9 in many areas of the Gomel region, from June 4 to 19 in most of the Minsk region, and from June 6 to 9 in most areas of the Mogilev region, there was an extreme fire hazard – 5th class of flammability,” Olga Baklanova noted.
According to her, the rains in the summer were mostly short-term, and on some days they were torrential. In some areas, heavy rains reached the criteria of a dangerous phenomenon. The largest amount of precipitation was recorded during the day on July 27 at the Orsha weather station, when 117 mm of precipitation fell, which is 143% of the monthly precipitation rate.
Olga Baklanova also emphasized that throughout 2023, wind gusts of up to 15 m/s and more were observed in Belarus, and in some places the wind speed reached the criterion of a dangerous phenomenon.
“The maximum wind speed was recorded on August 7 at the Orsha station and amounted to 36 m/s,” the specialist concluded.
“The average air temperature in the country for the autumn period of 2023 was 1.7 degrees above the climatic norm and amounted to plus 8.7 degrees. Autumn 2023 took fifth place in the ranked series of observations from the warmest to the coldest season since 1881,” the specialist noted.
The average temperature in Belarus in September 2023 was plus 16.2 degrees, which is 3.5 degrees higher than the climate norm.
The head of the climate change study department of the meteorological and climate monitoring service, the Belhydromet data fund, emphasized that September 2023 was the warmest and took first place in the ranked series of observations from the warmest to the coldest since 1945. “The air temperature during the day throughout the month was mainly plus 20 – 27 degrees. The maximum value – plus 29.2 degrees – the air temperature reached during the day on September 13 at the Brest and Pruzhany stations,” she reported.
The average air temperature in Belarus in October was plus 8 degrees, which was also 1.2 degrees higher than the climatic norm. At the same time, the average air temperature in November 2023 was plus 1.9 degrees, which was 0.3 degrees higher than the climatic norm.
Olga Baklanova noted that from November 17 to 20, the temperature crossed 0 degrees in the direction of a decrease in the onset of climatic winter.
“During the autumn season of last year, an average of 189 mm of precipitation fell in Belarus – this is 123% of the climatic norm, and the autumn of 2023 was among the 20 wettest seasons. Thus, in September, an average of 20 mm fell in Belarus, which amounted to 38% of the climatic norm, and September took 3rd place in the ranked series of observations from the driest to the wettest. At the stations of Ezerishche, Orsha and Bobruisk, the historical monthly minimum of precipitation for the month was updated,” the specialist said.
She emphasized that in October, on average, 83% of precipitation fell in the country – this is 153% of the climatic norm. In November, 86 mm of precipitation fell, which amounted to 187% of the climatic norm. This places November 2023 as the 3rd wettest to driest month on record since 1945.
“Since the second half of the third ten-day period of November, snow cover has been established with a height of 1 cm in Pruzhany to 39 cm in Ezerishche on the last day of the month, and only at the Grodno station there was no snow cover. Usually, stable snow cover in Belarus mainly falls in the second ten-day period of December. Also, on December 3, very heavy snow was observed in the area of the Zhidkovichi meteorological station. The amount of precipitation was 23 mm,” stated the head of the climate change study department of the meteorological and climate monitoring service, the Belhydromet data fund.
