Minus twenty

Forecasters predict 'fantastic' temperature drop on Wednesday

The unusually sunny, clear and warm weather, which unexpectedly set in at the beginning of September, will be replaced by the capital’s traditional autumn chill starting tomorrow. Residents of Moscow will have to change their summer wardrobe in one day to jackets and raincoats prepared for late autumn. As Roman Vilfand, director of the Russian Hydrometeorological Center, told reporters on Monday, in the entire “central region of Russia the temperature will drop by a fantastic amount - 20 degrees.” As a result, average daily thermometer readings traditional for mid-September, according to meteorologists, will deviate by five degrees from the long-term norm.

So, if this afternoon the thermometer still reaches 22-24 degrees above zero, then by the end of the week the average daily temperature will not exceed 6 degrees Celsius. According to weather forecasters, cloudiness and intermittent rain during the last warm day, Tuesday, will indicate the coming cold snap. The decrease in temperature will become noticeable on Wednesday. During the day, meteorologists promise no more than 14 degrees above zero, and at night in some places it will drop to 10-11 degrees Celsius.

The Hydrometeorological Bureau predicts increased wind, cloudiness and rain, heavy in places, with a further drop in the thermometer throughout the day. Thus, by Thursday the average daily temperature will be 2-3 degrees below the September norm. During the day the air will warm up to only 10 degrees Celsius, at night it will be no more than 5 degrees above zero. A cloudy Friday will determine the weather for the whole weekend. On September 12, meteorologists promise the culmination of a drop in the average daily air temperature to 6 degrees Celsius.

An intense influx of cold air with a decrease in daylight hours at night will cool the air to 2-4 degrees Celsius, Alexey Lyakhov, Director General of the Hydrometeorological Bureau of Moscow and the Moscow Region, explained to Vremya Novostey. According to him, such a sharp decrease in temperature is due to an increase in the intensity of air circulation between latitudes and the flow of cold Arctic air masses into the capital region.

Forecasters note that temperature fluctuations can affect not only the well-being of weather-sensitive people, but also the mood of completely healthy citizens. For example, increased fatigue is likely, since a sharp change in external weather circumstances will require mobilization of the body and expenditure of energy for adaptation. However, both weather forecasters from the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia and Moscow meteorologists expect that after a warm start, September will still give residents of the capital region a mature Indian summer. Experts are confident that in the second half of the month there will still be three or four fine days, when the air temperature warms up to 20-24 degrees.

Yulia KHOMCHENKO