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20 April 2017 [16:08] - Today.Az


By Azernews


By Laman Ismayilova

There are indications that local rivers may overflow their banks in Azerbaijan as the high temperatures causes snow-melting in the mountains.

Noting that flooding is likely in some areas, the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry reported that heavy snow melts combined with heavy rain can lead to flooding.

“Unlike previous years, this winter the process of the snow cover formation in the Greater Caucasus and the Lesser Caucasus Mountains started on October 17-19.  The process intermittently continued during the 3rd decade of October and the first half of the 3rd decade of November,” the ministry clarified.

“A stable snow cover appeared in the mountainous areas due to snowfalls in December, January and first half of February. The freezing temperatures in mountainous areas led to snow accumulation, which in turn, will play a major role in the flooding.”

The snowfall and snow depth measurements in river basins of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus revealed that the snowfall exceeded the long-term average and the snowfall volume of previous winters.

The snow melting process started in March, due to which the snow reserves in the mountains began to fall.

Despite precipitation in the spring months will be less than normal, the ministry warned that due to the still high snow reserves, and, some rivers of the Greater Caucasus and the Lesser Caucasus can be overflowed due to heavy rains.

The ministry expects rainfall in the spring and summer months (April-may-June) to be close to or slightly lower the long-term average. The average temperature will exceed norm by 0.5-1 degree.



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