Ulan Bator, January 24 (IANS) – Mongolia is preparing for a severe cold wave, with the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring issuing a warning for extreme winter conditions. Beginning Saturday, a cold air mass from Siberia, Russia, will move across much of Mongolia, bringing overnight temperatures that could plummet below minus 40 degrees Celsius.
The agency highlighted that last year’s coldest temperature, recorded on January 23 in the western province of Zavkhan, reached a chilling minus 48.8 degrees Celsius. It warned that similar extreme conditions are expected to impact the western regions this weekend. In the capital, Ulan Bator, temperatures are anticipated to be 10 to 15 degrees colder than recent days, with heavy snow predicted throughout the weekend.
The cold front is expected to cause widespread disruptions, with a particular focus on the vulnerable nomadic herders who live in Mongolia’s rural areas. The public is urged to take protective measures to safeguard both themselves and their livestock from the severe conditions. Several soums (administrative subdivisions) in the western and northern provinces are already grappling with the impact of harsh winter conditions.
In addition to the immediate cold wave, the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring had previously issued an alert about the risk of dzud, a term used in Mongolia to describe a particularly brutal winter in which many livestock perish due to frozen ground or heavy snow. The agency’s risk assessment indicates that at least 40 percent of the country’s territory faces a high risk of dzud this year, while 20 percent is categorized as having a medium risk.
The western provinces of Bayan-Ulgii, Uvs, Khovd, Zavkhan, and Gobi-Altai are under the highest risk, while parts of the northern provinces (Khuvsgul, Selenge, and Bulgan), central provinces (Arkhangai and Uvurkhangai), and parts of the southern provinces (Bayankhongor and Dundgovi) are also facing elevated risks.
Mongolia is known for its severe winters, often shaped by the Siberian high-pressure system, which brings frigid temperatures and unpredictable weather. Last year, the country experienced its heaviest snowfall in 50 years, resulting in a catastrophic dzud that led to the loss of millions of livestock. The brutal combination of extreme cold and heavy snow led to widespread devastation in rural areas, where nomadic herders rely heavily on their animals for their livelihood.
In a tragic reminder of the harsh winter risks, over 10 people, mostly nomadic herders, lost their lives in November 2023 due to snowstorms and blizzards in the central province of Tuv and the eastern province of Sukhbaatar.
As Mongolia braces for another challenging winter, the cold wave and dzud pose significant threats not only to livestock but also to the lives and livelihoods of the nation’s nomadic communities. The weather’s unpredictability continues to create hardship for both people and animals, particularly in rural and remote areas where support is limited and the extreme weather can last for months.
The government and local agencies are urging communities to prepare accordingly and remain vigilant as the winter season intensifies.
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