Weather affects all aspects of human
behaviour. Most of us casually tune into the weather forecast to find out
whether we should take an umbrella to work or if we should go for a walk.
Climate is the weather a certain
place has over a long period of time. Climate has a very important influence on
plants, animals and humans and is different in different parts of the world.
Some scientists think that the world is becoming hotter. If you compare Belarusian
winter and summer temperatures at the beginning of the 20th century
and nowadays you will see that climate has really changed. Winters have become
warmer. Sometimes there is little snow in January, and there were winters when
it rained on the New Year's Eve. Many people say that it is so because of the
greenhouse effect.
Here in Belarus we don’t talk much
of the weather, we just take it as it is. There are four definitely marked
seasons here which considerably differ from each other. Our country has a
temperate-continental climate with moderate features which is a common
characteristic for Central Europe. The annual average temperature is about
7°C. In general, there are no great differences
between the districts of Belarus because of the small size of the country.
Spring in Belarus starts in March
and remains quite unpredictable during the first two months. Although it is
still possible to have a cold snap at this time it’s also equally possible that
an early heat wave could arrive. As March moves into April and May then you can
expect plenty of sunshine with increasing temperatures. It is not unusual to have
temperatures of between 20–30 degrees Celsius in May! As Belarus is situated in
the zone of sufficient moistening that can make spring a damp season with a
great number of precipitations.
Summer in Belarus. Although Belarus
can’t enjoy hot temperatures in spring it’s in the summer months when things
can really start to heat up. Belarus has quite long and hot, continental
summers and you can generally expect to have at least good four weeks of hot,
sunny weather at some point in the summer months. This brings with it the
inevitable thunderstorms and thunderstorms on the continent can be dramatic and
violent. Local thunderstorms are quite common in the late afternoon and
evening. Belarus is also prone to summer deluges, but once the rain stops, the air
warms up immediately drying the land.
Autumn in Belarus. September in
Belarus is often regarded as one of the best months. Temperatures are generally
in the 20’s which makes it much more bearable than the boiling heat of the
summer months. Evenings in September can be surprisingly chilly. September and
October is also the time to admire the glorious autumn colours of the
Belarusian landscape. However, in November, temperatures can drop significantly
and anything is possible e.g. snow, wind, rain, etc.
Winter in Belarus. In some years the
winters in Belarus are mild with westerly winds and temperatures around or even
above zero. But sometimes Belarusian winters can be extremely cold and it’s not
unusual for temperatures to fall below –20 C degrees. The weather can be very
harsh then, with strong northeasterly winds and blizzards. However, these
bitter conditions don’t last for very long, but one should prepare for them
nevertheless. Winter in Belarus brings its own beauty.
