Climate

The relief of Azerbaijan creates quite favorable conditions for the formation of a warm mild climate on the most part of the country: the Greater Caucasus range serves as natural barrier preventing cold masses of air from the North, and the Lesser Caucasus is preventing hot tropical air from the South. However, in winter cold masses of air flowing into the territory of Azerbaijan from the north can cause storms, snowfalls and hard frosts.
Azerbaijan contains 9 out of the 11 climatic zones. The highest average annual temperature of the air is generally recorded on the lowlands - Kur-Araz and Lankaran where it exceeds 14C. Average January temperature in the lowlands exceeds 0C, but sometimes the temperature falls to - 20C. Dry, hot winds - fens - that blow from the Talysh mountains in spring and tropical air in winter often cause sharp rises of temperature.
July and August are the hottest months in Azerbaijan. Average temperature during July in the Kur-Araz lowlands, the west of Apsheron Peninsula and Priaraz ( Arazyani) plains of Nakhchivan is 25 to 27C. On some days when tropical air penetrates from the south temperatures on these plains can rise to between 40 and 43C.
In Julfa (Nakhchivan) the highest recorded temperature is 44C. Being situated far from the Caspian Sea and surrounded with high mountains ridges, Nakhchivan is characterized with a continental climate. Not only the highest, but also the lowest national temperature was recorded in Nakhchivan. The lowest air temperature on the plains in Azerbaijan (-31C) was recorded in the Dervishlar meteorological station.
In spite of having such a large neighboring water reservoir as the Caspian Sea, only the coastal line is influenced by the sea and the main source of moisture is not the Caspian but the western Atlantic air masses. The distribution of rainfall is so uneven across the country that along with regions having 200 mm per year (south of Apsheron Peninsula) there are the other regions with 1600 mm per year (south of Lankaran lowland). It sometimes hails, which is harmful for agriculture.
The winds blowing in Azerbaijan are various. The prevailing winds of Apsheron Peninsula are Khazri (Baku nord) - a strong north wind from the sea - and Gilavar - a strong southwestern wind.
On the lowlands, winds blow generally in northwestern and southeastern directions. The wind does not reach high speeds on the main part of the territory, except for on Apsheron Peninsula, where the occurrence of strong stormy winds is frequent. The speed of Khazri reaches a maximum point on coastal zones, slowing down while blowing out in different directions over the sea.
In the summer hot and dry winds, harmful for agriculture, blow in the Kur-Araz lowlands.
Changes and durations of the seasons in Azerbaijan are not clearly defined. Spring begins at the beginning of March in lowlands and the Apsheron Peninsula. Summer is the most long lasting season, from the end of May and lasts till mid- or even the end of October when the weather is dry and hot in the lowlands.
Fall starts in October, when the heat abates and it rains at times. The usual weather is warm and dry, therefore fall in Azerbaijan is considered a "velvet" season. In mountain regions fall is quite often a rainy period. Winter in Azerbaijan is mild. The incidence of temperatures below zero on the plains is rare. Only in an unusual cold winter are there hard frosts. The coldest months are January and February.
There are nine types of climate in the country, varying from dry and humid subtropical to the climate of upland tundra, with extremes of temperature from - 45C in highland to + 44C in lowlands.
The Kur-Araz lowland, with the attaching foothills of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, the Samur-Devechi lowland and the Apsheron Peninsula with Gobustan, have the climate of semi-deserts and dry steppes with hot dry summer and mild winter, close to that of subtropical. The same type of climate but with cold winters is typical for the Priaraz (Arazyani) zone of Nakhchivan.
The foothills of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus have moderate warm climate with dry winters. The moderate humidity is typical for such a climate. Land farming is very successful when irrigation is used. A moderate warm climate with even rainfalls during the year dominates mainly in the forested zone of south and northeast slopes of the Greater Caucasus. A moderate warm climate with dry summer, but abundant rainfalls in other seasons, is characteristic for the humid subtropics of the Lankaran lowland and surrounding foothills of the Talysh mountains. A cold climate with dry winter is notable for northeast slopes of the Greater Caucasus (1,000-2,700m) and a considerable part of the Lesser Caucasus (1,400-2,700m). A cold climate with dry summer is characteristic for Nakhchivan.
Above 2,700-3,000 m the cold and wet climate of upland tundra prevails. This type of climate is notable for highlands of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus and partly for the Zangezur range of Nakhchivan. In general, the climate of mountains varies from climate of upland tundra to the climate of semi-deserts and dry steppes. At the same time, summer heat and dryness, warm rainfalls in autumn, cool and humid winter, and changeable springs are typical for lowlands. All plains are divided into the zones of dry subtropics (embracing the main parts of plains) and humid subtropics (Alazan/Qanix -Agrichay valley and Lankaran lowlands). It allows cultivation of both dry and humid subtropical plants in Azerbaijan.
All these features of the climate in Azerbaijan are determined not only by relief, but also by the peculiar geographical position, the circulating processes and variety of rocks and groundwater.