Kazakhstan is one of the countries where the calendar spring began at the beginning of March. However, it turns out that winter does not want to leave the country. The capital of the country was visited by Buran – a combination of a gale and a snowstorm, which significantly influenced the road situation, causing considerable difficulties to drivers.
Although in Kazakhstan there is officially spring, the capital of the country Astana was hit by Buran on Monday – a steppe snowstorm, causing difficulties for residents. According to the local media, there were over 100 collisions and road accidents in the city, and the fight against the element continues.
Buran is a phenomenon that occurs mainly in the steppes of southern Siberia, the vocation or just the northern areas of Kazakhstan. It is a strong wind combined with heavy snowfall, which reached the capital on Sunday night and will last – as synoptics say – until Wednesday. It should be noted, however, that the wind calmed down a bit at night from Monday to Tuesday, but on Tuesday evening it is to gain strength again.
A lot of difficulties
On Monday, the wind blowed gusts at speeds up to more than 70 kilometers per hour. In combination with a temperature that lasts at -6 degrees Celsius during the day and to -15 degrees C at night, the inhabitants of the Kazakh capital cannot say that spring outside the window will coincide with the calendar, which begins there on March 1.
Intensive snowfall connected to the wind caused that most of the exit roads from the capital were closed. The media reported the need to evacuate several dozen passengers of the bus, which got stuck in a blizzard and about the need to convoy a column of about 700 vehicles whose bad weather found on the way to the capital. Only on Monday about 20 centimeters of snow fell in Astana.
Also on Monday, the Kazakh media announced two avalanches in ski resorts located in the south of the country, around the largest city of Kazakhstan – Almaty. In the city itself, the temperature is positive, but high, rising over three thousand meters above sea level, numerous mountain massifs allow skiing amateurs at the beginning of April. One of the avalanches was created spontaneously, while the other was caused by irresponsible skiers, they have already been identified and will be responsible.
On Tuesday, the Kazakhstan authorities also announced preparations for the flood season. Currently, there is 71 percent of the country under the snow, when a week earlier this percentage was 84 percent, but in the southern regions it began to melt violently. Floods are forecast in 15 out of 17 circuits in the country. The inhabitants of Kazakhstan still have last year's floods, the largest in 80 years.
This is not an anomaly
Although unfavorable weather makes life difficult for residents, it is not an unusual phenomenon at this time of year. The winter weather in Astana usually lasts from the end of October to mid -April. From mid -November to the end of March, the Iszym River flowing through the capital is frozen and served as an attraction – it organizes sleigh rinks, ice rinks for skater and the like.
In the opinion of the residents, winter 2024/2025 was gentle. Temperature values ​​rarely dropped below -25 degrees Celsius, while in previous years they remained for weeks. According to the Portal Pivburo.KZ, so far from the beginning of this winter, over 7 million cubic meters of snow have been taken to the surrounding steppes, for which over 550,000 dumper courses were needed. It was informed about the delays of the flight to Astana.
Source of the main photo: EastKazpolice/Instagram