What is the climate of Azerbaijan? Most people will not be able to answer this question or, at best, confine themselves to very general phrases. And in vain - this is an interesting country with a rich history and amazingly diverse climate. Therefore, we will try to fill this knowledge gap by revealing the topic in as much detail as possible.
Geographical position
First of all, it is worth noting that Azerbaijan, despite its small size (about 86 thousand square kilometers - less than the Chelyabinsk region), is the largest state in Transcaucasia. According to some sources, it belongs to the Near East, and according to others - to the Middle East.
In any case, Azerbaijan is located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea. Almost half of the territory is occupied by mountains. The length from east to west is approximately 500 kilometers, and from north to south - 400.
What climate prevails
Before moving on to the next question, it’s worth understanding how many climates exist in Azerbaijan. More precisely, the types of climate. Many will be surprised by the fact that in this small state you can see almost all existing types of climate! More specifically, nine out of eleven existing ones.
If we say what climate prevails in Azerbaijan, then we can confidently answer: subtropical. Mild winters, hot summers and fairly high humidity create ideal conditions for growing almost any crop.
But also here you can see the steppe, temperate, middle, cold climate and many others. Such a variety becomes possible precisely due to the complex terrain. As mentioned above, a large part of the country is mountains. It is at their peaks that you can observe the coldest and most unfriendly conditions. But alpine and subalpine meadows are found lower.
Temperature
Of course, climate change in Azerbaijan is quite large for months. In some regions, the average annual temperature is about +15 degrees, while in others it reaches -13 degrees Celsius. And again, such a spread is provided by a complex relief and an abundance of high mountains.
Even in the hottest month - July - the temperature varies quite a lot. At the foot of the mountains, it can reach + 40 … + 44 degrees Celsius. And on the peaks it drops below zero, and here the snow does not melt even on the hottest summer days.
The exact same picture is observed in January, which is the coldest month. The average January temperature in some regions is +5 degrees, and in others - 24 below zero. Therefore, it is very difficult to talk about the climate in Azerbaijan for months.
Nevertheless, the climate here is quite mild - on the plains, even in cold winters, the temperature almost never drops below zero degrees. Thanks to this, this area is perfect for growing almost all types of heat-loving crops, which is actively used by many locals.
Rainfall
With precipitation, too, everything is quite complicated - their average annual amount varies greatly depending on the region. For example, in the region of the capital of Azerbaijan, the city of Baku, very little rain falls annually, less than 200 millimeters. But on the slopes of the Talysh mountains and Lankaran lowland, this amount reaches a maximum - about 1200-1700 millimeters per year. In general, about 300-900 millimeters fall on the plains, and from 900 to 1400 in the foothills.
Moreover, in the mountains, most of the precipitation falls in the warm season - from April to September. The situation is quite different on the plains and lowlands - here the most humid time of the year is winter.
Accordingly, the number of days with precipitation varies greatly. For example, in the Priaraz plain and on the Kura-Araz lowland, rainy days per year are not more than 60-70. But if we consider the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus, then this figure will increase significantly - up to about 170 days.
In general, the rains here sometimes simply amaze with their abundance and even rage - the elements are raging in full. In the Talysh mountains, the intensity of showers is really amazing. In the lowlands and plains, most of the precipitation falls in the form of rains - approximately 80 percent. But for the mountains, this figure is noticeably less - no more than 40 percent.
Air humidity
Like all characteristics related to the climate in Azerbaijan, air humidity is distributed very unevenly. Humidity ranges from 3 to 15 mb. The indicator depends not only on proximity to large bodies of water, but also on altitude.
For example, in the Caspian coastal zone, the humidity is 14-15 mb - the maximum throughout the country. It is not surprising, because the warm air masses forming over the Caspian Sea have a significant impact on the climate of Azerbaijan and, of course, increase air humidity. The Kura-Azar lowland is only slightly inferior to it, where humidity ranges from 11 to 12 mb.
With moving west, humidity gradually decreases. It also decreases when climbing into the mountains.
A bit about the winds
As often happens in mountainous areas, winds blow in Azerbaijan quite often and abundantly. Moreover, their temperature and direction directly depend on the time of year.
For example, in the winter in the mountains you can often see hair dryers - so called warm dry winds. But in the summer, on the plains and foothill areas, winds often blow under the name agel. Moreover, they are quite strong - the average annual wind speed throughout Azerbaijan is about 5 meters per second. If you move to the coastal territories of the Absheron Peninsula, then the speed will increase to 6-8 meters per second. However, it is worth considering that this speed is average - that is, it is distributed between windy and windless days. In general, quite strong winds blow about 100-150 days a year - about 15 meters per second.
Ganja-Gazakh plain is characterized by even stronger winds. True, here the number of windy days is noticeably less and rarely exceeds 70 a year.
The rest of Azerbaijan is rarely exposed to strong winds - most often there is a weak, pleasant breeze.
What affects the climate in the country
Now we’ll try to figure out what has the greatest impact on the formation of the climate of Azerbaijan.
Of course, in the first place, these are mountains, as mentioned above. Still, it’s no secret to anyone that when you climb mountains, the air temperature drops significantly. The mountains also direct the flow of wind, and in some cases block them. This also leads to a very uneven distribution of precipitation - they spill abundantly in some places and at the same time do not reach others.
The proximity of the Caspian Sea has a huge impact on the territory of Azerbaijan. The mildest and wettest climate is observed precisely on its coast. A large body of water creates its own climate. In summer, the average temperature near the sea is several degrees lower than inland. But in winter - a few degrees higher.
Although Azerbaijan is relatively close to the Black Sea, its impact on the climate is relatively small, as air masses move mainly from east to west.
