The earth is drying up, the ice is melting. And the village of Gadyukino is washed away…
Warming continues, temperatures remain above normal, and the number of severe weather events is increasing. Climate change is affecting precipitation patterns, permafrost thawing, and sea ice loss in the Arctic.
Roshydromet has published its annual climate report for Russia, summarizing the results for 2024. "NeMoskva" explains what's happening with the climate, how it's affecting nature, and the challenges facing the Russian meteorological service.
1. 2024 was one of the warmest years on record, with the average annual temperature exceeding the norm by 1,21°C, second only to the record-breaking 2020. In Russia, warming, which began in the 1970s, continues throughout the country in all seasons. The average annual temperature increase from 1976 to 2023 was +0,5°C per decade. This is 2,5 times faster than the global temperature increase.
2. Greenhouse gas levels continue to rise. In 2024, carbon dioxide concentrations in Russia reached new highs, exceeding global levels. Atmospheric methane concentrations have also increased.
3. Although overall precipitation in Russia was within normal limits, its distribution was uneven. There was more precipitation in the spring, while in the summer, precipitation in the central and southern regions of European Russia was significantly lower than usual, increasing the risk of drought.
In 2024, the number of hazardous hydrometeorological events also reached a record high—1234. Of these, 493 resulted in significant damage. The number of cases of severe ice (+48%), abnormal heat (+24%), and heavy precipitation (+19%) increased significantly.
4. Permafrost in Russia continues to melt. This process is particularly rapid in Western Siberia and the Yamal Peninsula, home to large oil and gas fields. This is due to rising Arctic temperatures and reduced summer ice cover. Sea ice has significantly decreased in the Arctic, particularly along the Northern Sea Route, where its extent has decreased eightfold in ten years.
5. "This report, like other Roshydromet reports on climate change forecasts and impacts for the country, should become reference books for all strategic decision-makers. The information published by Roshydromet is a call to action to avoid catastrophic consequences such as forest fires, which have already begun in the Far East and elsewhere, abnormal floods, like the 2024 flood in the Southern Urals, and heat waves, like those that caused power grid failures in the Southern Federal District in the summer of 2024."
Vladimir Chuprov, executive director of the Earth Touches Everyone project
6. Sanctions have predictably complicated the work of the Russian meteorological service. Vasily Lozovoy, head of the North Caucasus Meteorological Service, told Donnews in an interview that most of the equipment in his agency is foreign-made. Only precipitation gauges and psychrometric booths remain Russian-made. Thermometers are supplied from China; other equipment was previously purchased from Europe and the US, but these shipments have now been suspended.
"The service life of all automated systems, all automated stations, and all hydrological systems located in the Rostov Region has expired. Their service life is 10 years plus two to 15 months. After that, this equipment fails and cannot be repaired."
7. Furthermore, Ukraine, Poland, and Romania have blocked Russia's access to their meteorological data, making accurate weather forecasting difficult. Under these circumstances, according to Lozovoy, meteorologists are forced to turn to IT specialists, who "by hook or by crook get into areas where they shouldn't."
8. The head of the Ministry of Natural Resources believes that sanctions will not affect the stability of Roshydromet's operations.
"Services that warn people about dangerous weather events are apolitical. <…> Roshydromet is the oldest service in the world. You have accumulated a wealth of experience, and disconnecting from the common databases will not affect Roshydromet's stable operation in any way," said Alexander Kozlov.
