Meteorologists forecast cold weather in Moldova for old-style Christmas days

Chisinau, 6 January /MOLDPRES/ - Meteorologists have forecast cold weather, variable cloud and light snow all over Moldova for the next days, when the Orthodox Christians will mark the old-style Christmas.

According to the State Hydrometeorological Service (SHS), on 7-8 January, the air temperatures will oscillate between -3 and +3 Celsius degrees during the day will decrease to -10 degrees at night. SHS’ forecasts show that, on the concerned period, short light snow was expected.

The weather will slightly warm in the end of this week, especially in the central and southern Moldova and sleet is expected.

For the time being, Moldova faces a mild winter, which is not quite beneficial for agriculture. Specialists say that, in January, the winter crops are in vegetative repose and thaws are dangerous for the crops spending the winter in the years with such a weather. These are frequent phenomena in Moldova. The most dangerous are the thaws with an average daily air temperature of +5 Celsius degrees and higher. The winter crops and the fruit trees resume their vegetation during such thaws and they can be hit by sharp decreases of the air temperature. According to specialists, there are, on average, 12-18 days with thaw in Moldova in January.    

The hydrological warning issued by the SHS Hydrological Centre, concerning the danger of the thin ice in water basins, remains in force till 9 January.

Hydrologists said that, as a result of the weather’s cooling, ice would appear at lakesides or river banks, ice-bridges in places, on 2-9 January. The ice will be thin and getting on it is dangerous. In the context, rescuers warn residents, especially fishers amateurs, not to take too many risks and try to fish in winter. Also, parents should be attentive and ban their children from playing nearby water sources.