Climate change processes in Azerbaijan are observed through the increase of natural phenomena such as floods, inundations, and hail, as well as rising temperatures and decreasing precipitation. These processes are associated with the strengthening of meridional atmospheric circulation and the increasing influence of southern cyclones. According to studies, these changes are also linked to increased solar activity.

This was reported to AZƏRTAC by Hasan Nabiyev, PhD in Geography, senior researcher at the Climate Department of the Institute of Geography. He noted that the unstable weather conditions observed in recent days across the country, especially in Baku, are also explained by these processes. The flooding event in the capital is said to be related to a strong cyclone that formed in the northeastern part of the country and covered a large area, developing in the middle layers of the troposphere.

 The intense precipitation observed, as well as strong flood events recorded in rivers on the northeastern slopes of the Greater Caucasus, are linked to the entry of southern cyclones into the country.

Nabiyev assessed the current climate changes as a continuation of the global warming process. He said that the rise in temperature on Earth’s surface is accompanied by rising sea levels and a reduction in the area of snow and ice cover. In Azerbaijan as well, the upward shift of the snow line and a significant reduction in the area of mountain glaciers are observed.

In addition, earlier onset of average daily temperatures crossing certain thresholds in spring, their delay in autumn, the lengthening of this period, and an increase in agroclimatic indicators are also cited as indirect signs of climate change.