Ukrainian media and social networks were stirred up by shocking headlines about upcoming anomalous weather in August. Users discussed forecasts promising air temperatures up to +42 °C and unexpected frosts. However, synoptic meteorologists from the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center (Ukrhydrometcenter) are rushing to reassure the public: this is a gross error in data interpretation, not a real weather forecast.
Statistics instead of a forecast
As RBC-Ukraine reports citing experts, the cause of the panic lies in the misreading of the month's climatic characteristics. Media outlets confused long-term statistics with an operational forecast. The documents of Ukrhydrometcenter feature absolute maximum and minimum temperatures that have ever been recorded in Ukraine over more than a century of observations.
"What the media are spreading is not a real forecast, but simply long-term analytics," the center explained. The figures of +42 °C and frost indicators reflect extreme values recorded in different years of the past, not the expected weather for the coming days.
Real forecast for August
In the official advisory forecast, the situation looks much calmer. Meteorologists expect the average monthly air temperature to range from 21 to 25 degrees. In mountainous areas, the figures will be lower — from 17 to 19 degrees of heat. This is about 2 degrees above the climatic norm.
At the same time, in the eastern regions of the country, as well as in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson regions and Crimea, the temperature is forecast to be close to the climatic norm. It is important to understand that the average monthly temperature is an average value calculated based on all daily average indicators for the month.
Experts' reaction to fakes
Meteorologist Natalia Didenko, commenting on the situation, said that she has recently received many questions and even complaints from citizens regarding the allegedly predicted frosts. She emphasized that no such forecasts were given.
"If the word 'absolute' is written, it means 'absolute', not tomorrow or in two days," the synoptic meteorologist explained, urging people to read headlines carefully and distinguish between statistics and weather forecasts.
Ukrhydrometcenter strongly recommends using only official sources of information and not spreading manipulative headlines that mislead people. Earlier, it was reported that a short-term cooling is expected at the end of July, after which the heat will return to the country.
