“Extraordinary” spring heat in Central Asia could be most exceptional ever studied by WWA

A finding that the “extraordinary” spring heatwave in Central Asia, driven by climate change and 4°C hotter than the pre-industrial average, was “the second-largest increase of the 27 heat events studied by World Weather Attribution,” the scientists said Friday in a press release.

The result was second only to an average increase of as much as 4.3°C in a spring heatwave that affected South America in 2023.  

The latest WWA study found Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan recorded March temperatures that were up to 15°C above average, threatening glaciers, water supplies, hydroelectricity and farming.

“March is heating up much faster than any other month in the region, a trend that is not captured by climate models,” the scientists said, warning that the 4°C datum is “likely an underestimate”.

“The heat coincided with the blooming of almonds, apricots, and cherries, and the sowing of wheat. Unusually high temperatures are known to cause the premature drop of these fruits, as well as decreased harvests of wheat, which are also threatened by more frequent drought in the region.”   

‘March is heating up much faster
than any other month in the region’

Climate Centre Technical Adviser Maja Vahlberg said: “This is a heatwave that didn’t make headlines – it happened in spring and in a region that isn’t exactly known for blistering heatwaves.

“But a heatwave like this can have impacts on agricultural workers, crops, hydroelectric power, glacier-fed irrigation, and the availability of drinking water in the months to come.”

The study of the Central Asian heatwave was conducted by researchers from Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK and the US.

An earlier drought in Kazahkstan, which has just witnessed its warmest March night in recorded history. In summer 2021, first responders from the Kazakhstan Red Crescent were out assessing need in areas where farmers were severely affected by drought. IFRC-DREF released nearly 500,000 Swiss francs in emergency support. (2021 file picture: Kazakhstan Red Crescent via IFRC)