National Aeronautics and Space Administration

An historically warm first half of 2020 across Siberia was punctuated in June by a record-smashing heatwave. This heatwave, which was focused across Northeastern Siberia, exhibited many of the characteristics in common with other such intense heatwave and drought events of recent years, such as in the summer of 2010. Key research findings (Schubert et al., 2014) have identified the important role of summertime stationary Rossby waves in developing and strengthening the dome of high pressure, where the affected region sizzles.

This animation clearly demonstrates the heat increasing over the course of several days within such a stationary Rossby wave weather regime. Read More.