Temperatures in Western Mongolia Plummet to a Frigid Minus 42 Degrees Celsius
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Ulan Bator, Dec 13 (NationPress) Overnight temperatures plunged to a bitterly cold minus 42 degrees Celsius in Otgon soum, an administrative region of Zavkhan province in western Mongolia, from Thursday to Friday, according to the country's weather monitoring agency.
This represents the lowest temperature recorded in Mongolia so far this winter, the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring disclosed in a statement on Friday.
The agency has predicted that most areas of Mongolia will experience colder-than-normal temperatures throughout the winter, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Mongolia is renowned for its severe winters, significantly impacted by the Siberian high-pressure system.
Last winter, nearly all of the country's 21 provinces faced harsh wintry conditions, locally referred to as dzud, accompanied by record snowfall, the largest since 1975. Approximately 90 percent of the nation's territory was blanketed in snow up to 100 centimeters deep, resulting in the death of roughly 8 million livestock.
Dzud is a Mongolian word describing a harsh winter during which numerous livestock die due to frozen or snow-covered grazing areas.
Recently, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized Mongolia's nomadic migration practices and its related customs by adding them to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth, this decision by UNESCO was made during the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, from December 2 to 7.
Mongolian nomadic culture is deeply rooted in the symbiotic relationship between pastures, livestock, and herders, with families moving between grazing lands to allow the earth to recover, as noted by UNESCO.
The migration process is rich in tradition. The head of the household decides the date for the move, and the entire family participates in the preparations, which include cleaning the area and readying the animals, as stated by UNESCO.
A distinctive feature of this cultural heritage is the role of the wife, who dresses in her finest clothing and leads the migration as a sign of appreciation and respect for Mother Nature, according to UNESCO.
