Mongolia Issues Warning for Severe Cold Front
Click to start listening
Synopsis
Mongolia is on high alert for an impending extreme cold wave, with temperatures potentially plunging below -40°C, as announced by the National Agency for Meteorology. The country faces significant risks, particularly for nomadic herders, as heavy snow and freezing temperatures are expected to disrupt daily life across several provinces.
Key Takeaways
- Cold air from Siberia is set to impact Mongolia.
- Temperatures may drop below -40 degrees Celsius.
- Western provinces are particularly vulnerable.
- At least 40 percent of the territory faces high risk of dzud.
- Nomadic herders are urged to take precautions.
Ulan Bator, Jan 24 (NationPress) Mongolia is preparing for a severe cold snap in the upcoming days, as the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring issued a cautionary alert on Friday.
Beginning Saturday, frigid air from Siberia, Russia, will move across extensive areas of Mongolia, with overnight temperatures possibly dropping below minus 40 degrees Celsius, according to the weather agency's warning.
"Last year, the coldest temperature recorded in our nation was minus 48.8 degrees Celsius on January 23 in the western province of Zavkhan," the agency stated, forecasting that similar severe conditions will impact the western regions this weekend.
Additionally, other regions, including the national capital Ulan Bator, are anticipated to experience temperatures that are 10-15 degrees colder than in recent days, with heavy snowfall expected throughout the weekend.
This cold wave is likely to cause considerable disruptions, and the public, especially nomadic herders, are advised to take protective measures to safeguard themselves and their livestock from the extreme weather, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Numerous soums (administrative subdivisions) across Mongolian provinces are currently facing severe winter conditions.
Earlier this month, the agency had alerted that at least 40 percent of the nation's territory was at high risk of encountering the extreme winter phenomenon known as 'dzud' this winter.
The term dzud pertains to a harsh winter in Mongolia when a significant number of livestock perish due to frozen ground or snow coverage.
"A recent risk evaluation of the dzud reveals that at least 40 percent of the country's total area is at high risk of dzud this winter, while 20 percent is classified as medium risk," the weather monitoring agency disclosed in a statement.
Most regions in the five western provinces, namely Bayan-Ulgii, Uvs, Khovd, Zavkhan, and Gobi-Altai, have been identified as high or very high risk, according to the agency's warning.
Moreover, parts of the northern provinces Khuvsgul, Selenge, and Bulgan, the central provinces of Arkhangai and Uvurkhangai, and small regions in the southern provinces of Bayankhongor and Dundgovi are also at elevated risk.
Mongolia, recognized as one of the world's last true nomadic nations, is infamous for its harsh winters, predominantly influenced by the Siberian high-pressure system.
Last winter, the Asian nation faced its most significant snowfall in fifty years, resulting in a catastrophic dzud that led to the loss of millions of livestock.
The combination of extreme cold and erratic weather patterns frequently results in devastating effects for both human and animal populations.
An unfortunate instance of such hazards occurred in November 2023, when over 10 people, mainly nomadic herders, lost their lives due to heavy snow and blizzards in the central province of Tuv and the eastern province of Sukhbaatar.
Last winter, nearly all 21 provinces of the country experienced severe winter conditions, accompanied by record-breaking snowfall, the highest since 1975. Approximately 90 percent of the nation's territory was blanketed in snow reaching up to 100 centimeters thick, resulting in the demise of around eight million livestock.
