Extreme temperatures recorded in Kazakhstan this year could become the norm in the future, reports infohub.kz.
Earlier, it was reported that July heat broke temperature records in several cities. In Shymkent, a record that had stood for 111 years was broken: for the first time in a century, thermometers exceeded 45 degrees. High temperatures were also recorded in Turkistan and Almaty.
Typically, climatologists are cautious about calling temperature readings abnormal, but this summer has surprised even experts. As reported by Aruzhan Muratova, press secretary of RSE "Kazhydromet," the temperature anomaly was +2.96 degrees, and 9 out of 10 warmest years occurred in the 21st century. Summer in Kazakhstan has been warmer than normal for 12 consecutive years, starting from 2014. Across almost the entire country, the number of days with temperatures above 30 degrees is increasing, with the western and southern regions seeing a rise of 4-7 days per decade.
Experts do not rule out that temperature records will continue to be set in the coming years. Residents of southern regions are already struggling to cope with such heat.
Kazakhstan is not the only country suffering from the heat. Climatologists in Kyrgyzstan warn that temperatures in Central Asia will continue to rise, and what seems like abnormal heat today may become the norm in the future. Climatologist Zoya Kretova stated: "One of the most striking climate risks we are seeing today not only in Kyrgyzstan but across Central Asia and the world is the shift in seasons. The warm period of the year is lengthening. We should not expect anything good. As temperatures have been rising, they will continue to rise even more intensely."
Europe is experiencing the temperature increase particularly severely. This summer, the highest level of weather danger was declared in France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, and the UK.