Azerbaijan plagued by abnormal heat wave

/By AzerNews/

By Amina Nazarli

A heat wave swept through Azerbaijan, as forecasts claim that the temperature in the country reached up to 42 degrees C on June 24.

The temperature in the capital stands at between 31 and 36 degrees C during the day and 21-26 degrees C at night. The country’s regions are also experiencing record heat temps between 37 and 42 degrees C during the day and 16-21 C at night.

Reasons

Doctors and meteorologists caution that the heat wave throughout the Absheron Peninsula might adversely affect people sensitive to weather fluctuations and extreme heat during the period of June 24-26.

Earlier, Elchin Babayev, the first deputy director on science at the Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory named after Nasreddin Tusi, said that huge plasma clouds were formed after a plasma ejection from the Sun on June 22 (summer solstice), which reached Earth's magnetosphere. This, in turn, led to a strong G4-class geomagnetic storm.

He said that G5 level geomagnetic storm is the most powerful and a storm of such force is rare.

Babayev, however, went on to say that the storm was the second most powerful storm both in 2015, and in the entire 11-year cycle of solar activity.

“The storm was so powerful that its light could be observed at middle latitudes. The first storm was registered on May 18 this year. Currently the geomagnetic storm continues,” he noted.

The scientist added that the storm is expected to cease on June 24.

Gulshad Mammadova, the deputy chief of the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry said that record warming in the country was predominantly recorded in July-August of the last few years.

“According to several researches, the hottest temperature of 42 degrees C in Baku and Absheron peninsula was reported in 2011,” she stressed.

Among the country’s regions, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic experienced the hottest August in 2000. “Nakhchivan’s Julfa and Ordubad regions were hit by 46 degrees C,” the deputy chief noted.

Consequences of abnormal weather

“This year can be considered the hottest one since 1998,” says a specialist from U.S. space agency NASA.

According to them, in 2015, some regions of the earth will experience a severe drought and unprecedented heat.

“Today there is active climate change, so this year, the weather will be hotter than in the previous ones,” environmentalist Farida Huseynova, the chairman of the Azerbaijan Green Movement told echo.az. “That's why due to evaporation, the level of the Caspian Sea has fallen.”

Earlier, the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry said that over the last 7 years, the Caspian sea level dropped by 0.56 meters, and the average annual level of the sea in 2014 account for -27.43 meters on the Baltic system.

Meanwhile, since the beginning of the summer season, some 10 residents of the capital have gotten heatstroke, said Ogtay Shakhmaliyev, the deputy chief of the operative part of the Ambulance Central Station.

“A total of ten people appealed for a hospital visit, two of them were hospitalized, the rest were provided the assistance on site. None children among were suffered. Middle-aged women and men got a heatstroke,” he said.