Weather and climate of Irkutsk

The climate of Irkutsk is sharply continental, and its influence is influenced by a number of factors: location, relief, air mass circulation, built hydroelectric power station.

Concepts and definitions

The climate is a long-term regime of the weather of a specific locality, it is relatively constant. The very concept of "climate" is rooted in the Greek word klima, which means "slope," that is, the inclination of the earth's surface to the rays of the sun. Features of the climate of the area are closely related to physical and geographical conditions (river valleys, mountain ranges, remoteness from the sea) and the circulation of the atmosphere (anticyclones, cyclones, air mass movements).

Weather is defined as the state of the lower layers of the atmosphere at a certain time in a certain place, it is variable.

What is the climate in Irkutsk? Features of the city's climate

The climate of the city of Irkutsk is sharply continental with a long (about 6 months) frosty winter and a warm wet rainy summer. The climate of the city was significantly affected by the construction of Irkutsk and other hydroelectric power stations on the Angara River: it became softer, but at the same time, the humidity in the region increased significantly. Summer temperatures have significantly decreased, while winter temperatures have slightly increased in comparison with the period before the construction of the HPP.

In winter, an anticyclone prevails over the city, dry sunny frosty weather prevails, weak winds (no more than 1 m / s), and the process of cooling the earth's surface is intensively proceeding.

In the warm period of the year anticyclones are replaced by cyclones (low atmospheric pressure), which are characterized by high clouds and abundant precipitation. In summer, about 85% of annual precipitation falls.

The main climatic indicators of the city of Irkutsk and its environs

The uniqueness of meteorological values is formed by the location of the city of Irkutsk. It is located in the valley of the Angara River, far from the sea coast. A particular feature of the city's climate is frosty long winter and a rainy short summer.

Residents call their city only "a city of permafrost" - because of low snow winters and frequent winds, the surface of the earth is almost not covered by snow cover and freezes. The coldest month in Irkutsk is January (-15-33 ° C), and the warmest month is July (+ 18 + 20 ° C). In the temperature regime, the minimum air temperature is -50 ° C, the maximum temperature is + 36 ° C. The average temperature in Irkutsk in January is -18 ° C (night), -15 ° C (day), in July + 20 ° C (night) and + 23 ° C (day). The daily amplitudes reach 20 ° C, annual amplitudes up to 50 ° C. A severe temperature regime in modern conditions can be transferred with the help of ventilation equipment and air conditioning systems. Installation and sale of such equipment is carried out by LLC "Climate" (Irkutsk).

In precipitation mode, the maximum is typical for July, with an annual average drop of 500 mm. Average humidity of air is about 70%, humidity rises in summer.

The main directions of winds prevailing in Irkutsk

In winter, the winds of the western winds dominate Irkutsk and its surroundings, and in the summer - the north-west direction. The valley of the Angara River in the city is oriented from the north-west to the southeast, the frequency of these wind directions in the city is greatest.

Wind direction table in Irkutsk

In the cold period of the year, due to the influence of the anticyclone, the periodic repetition of the calm is observed, its share is about 40%. In the spring and autumn periods, wind speeds reach about 3 m / s.

Unfavorable weather phenomena developing in the city of Irkutsk

Unfavorable weather events in populated areas pose a serious threat to life and health of people, causing significant damage to property. According to estimates of meteorological scientists, in the near future in the city and its environs it is expected to increase the frequency of floods, torrents, snowstorms, strong floods, tornadoes, hurricane winds, abnormal temperature fluctuations, droughts and fires.

The main reason for the growth of such phenomena is an increase in the average air temperature and the underlying surface, which leads to an increase in evaporation from the earth's surface (with an increase in t by 1 ° C, evaporation increases by about 7%) and, consequently, an increase in atmospheric precipitation. So, for the last few years in the period from January to October there is an increase in the average monthly t ° C in comparison with the period 1963-2009. About 2.6 ° C.

Among the seasonal adverse weather events in Irkutsk that affect the well-being of residents and their livelihoods are extremely high temperatures (maximum t ° C air + 35 ° C for 5 days) and extremely low temperatures (minimum t ° C below -40 ° C C for 5 days).

The causes of extreme temperature manifestations are the continental climate of Irkutsk and the circulation processes in the lower layers of the atmosphere (the invasion of cold air from Arctic latitudes in the cold period of the year and the prolonged passage of anticyclones in the summer season).

In the city, one of the most unfavorable weather phenomena is a strong wind. Meteorologists allocate two annual highs of strong and very strong winds - in May and November. In the middle of winter and summer there is a minimal recurrence of cases with a strong wind.

In winter, strong winds are associated with snowstorms, a significant part of them are observed during the period from November to March.

In the summer months, with a strong wind, dust storms and squalls occur, usually in May-June.

In the middle of summer, a peak of such phenomena as prolonged rain occurs (in 12 hours more than 100 mm or 120 mm per day falls), very heavy rain (in 12 hours 50 mm falls out) and large hail (20 mm diameter hail).

Cyclones from the south increase the frequency of heavy showers (the amount of liquid precipitation is more than 30 mm over a period of less than 1 hour), downpours fall in the second half of summer (the peak falls in August).

A strong fog (visibility is less than 50 m) is observed 5 times more often in the warm season than in the cold season, in addition, the number of days in a year with fog has increased in recent years. The formation of fogs and high clouds during the summer, frost and low visibility in spring and autumn is affected by the hydropower plant.

Strong fog (visibility is less than 50 m) is observed in the warm season 5 times more often than in the cold, in addition, in recent years, the number of days in the year with a strong fog increases.

The influence of cyclones and anticyclones on the climate of the city

Long cold periods are associated with the invasion of the territory of polar cyclones, and long warm periods are associated with the passage of southern air masses from temperate latitudes. In recent years, the following pattern has been fixed: in the territory of the Irkutsk region, periods with extremely high frost are observed much more often than with extremely hot heat.

In the formation of haze and fog in Irkutsk, an important contribution is made by anticyclones, and the formation of showers, strong squall wind is affected by cyclones.

The climate of Irkutsk and the Siberian nature

People say: the climate forms the character of people. This expression completely corresponds to the truth in relation to the inhabitants of Irkutsk. The Siberian severe climate tempered and formed the same character. "The most important thing is the weather in the house ...", more precisely the climate of the house. For these purposes, a large number of equipment has been developed that allows for climate control in the houses of the city of Irkutsk. Ventilation equipment, air conditioning, cooling systems of the premises and much more allow you to transfer all the hardships of the severe Siberian climate with the help of climate control in Irkutsk.