Climate change

Dushanbe city is located in the upper part of Gissar Valley, near the southern slopes of the same name mountain ridge on the average elevation 820 m above sea level. Complicated orography and general atmospheric circulation processes predispose the formation of local climate here, which is different from the climate in the same-altitude areas of southwest Tajikistan. Climate of Dushanbe can be considered as continental and subtropical, with abundance of tropical air masses during summer time and temperate air masses in the winter.

The intensity of solar radiation in Dushanbe is rather high. It is because of high angle of the sun (75° in summer) and low latitude position of the city (38° northern latitude). In summer time, sunshine duration is 70-80% of possible. Total solar radiation per 1 cm2 reaches 145 kilocalories. This makes the yearly surface air temperature in Dushanbe as high as 14,7°C (average 1961-1990), while mean temperature of January (coldest month) reaches +2,1°C, and July (warmest month) +27,1°C. Occurrence of mean monthly temperature in January below zero in Dushanbe is 30% of the time.

Remoteness from the oceans, seas and big water reservoirs promotes great variation of daily and yearly temperatures, humidity, and other meteorological elements. Thus, the difference between day and night temperatures in summer can be 15-20°C. Local climate-formation factors greatly influence wind speed and direction. During the day, wind direction is changing regularly, while wind speed varies 0-5 m/sec.

The amount of precipitation differs from year to year and is around 641,8 mm (average 1961-1990). In some years, the rainfall is less than 400 mm or more 1000 mm. Precipitation is mainly formed by southwest (warm) or northwest (cold) fronts. Quite often during spring and summer, the dust storms and mist carry millions of tones of sand and earth and cover the city for few days. Visibility can fall up to 100-200 meters.

Source : Tajik Met Service

In view of global climate change, caused by increasing of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere and influenced by a series of local factors, the change in surface air temperature can be distinctly observed in the city. For all period of instrumental observations, since 1946 until 2001, yearly surface temperature in Dushanbe has increased by 1,5°C. With all this going on, most essential warming is being observed in summer and autumn seasons (1,8-2°C) and less essential in winter and spring season (0,4°C). Amount of precipitation is variable and light increasing (1 mm/year) can be observed.

Source : Tajik Met Service

According to historical meteorological records, coldest period in Dushanbe was observed in 1950-1975, and afterward there was a steady growth of temperature. Lowest yearly temperature was in 1972 (12,5°C) and warmest was in 1988 (16,3°C). In 2000, yearly temperature was 15,7°C. The least precipitation was in 1995 (370 mm) and the greatest was in 1998 (1075 mm). In 2000, amount of precipitation was 421 mm (220 mm less then normal).

Source : Tajik Met Service

The highest temperature in Dushanbe for all period of instrumental observations was registered on 28 June 2001. According to the data from republican hydrometcenter, on this day the maximum temperature reached +43,4°C. Previous maximum in Dushanbe was registered in July 1977, when the temperature increased up to +43°C and more then 20 years this remained record value. At the same time, in other southwest areas of Tajikistan, the exceeding of previous maximum was 0,5-1,0°C. Minumum temperatures are rising.

Source : Tajik Met Service

Air pollution from vehicles, industries, heat emissions from exhaust gases and heat transfer lines, along with dusty air - all these factors influence local climate. They change air circulation conditions and affect surface air temperature in different ways.

Also, one of the local factors, which stipulated the warming, is changing of environment within surroundings of Dushanbe's meteorological station and other areas. Before 1980-th, a lot of green plantations, brushwood and flood-lands prevailed here. Nevertheless, in view of increasing of building up area of the city, the local climate was changed. Drainage of territories, clearing up of green areas, construction of buildings and roads - all these factors have impacted on the reflecting and heating properties of landscape, and accordingly they've caused local climate change, especially in summer.

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