The National Hydrometeorological Service of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Milli Hidrometeorologiya Xidməti) is a key state agency operating under the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The primary mission of the service is to provide the public, government agencies, and economic sectors with accurate meteorological, hydrological, and agrometeorological forecasts, as well as prompt early warnings about natural disasters.
In the era of global warming and increasingly frequent weather anomalies, the role of this agency has become absolutely critical for the country's national security and the daily planning of its citizens.
The Service operates an extensive network of observation posts, research centers, and analytical departments covering the entire territory of Azerbaijan, including the liberated territories of Karabakh and East Zangezur.
Key areas of activity:
Meteorological forecasts: Compiling short-term (daily) and long-term weather forecasts for all regions of the country and the Caspian Sea basin.
Hydrological monitoring: Controlling water levels in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. This is crucial for preventing devastating mudflows and floods, especially in the mountainous regions of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus.
Environmental control: Monitoring ambient air quality, radiation background, and surface water pollution levels.
Aviation meteorology: Ensuring the flight safety of civil and military aviation by providing precise data on visibility, wind speed, and cloud cover.
A modern weather forecast is not just about observing the sky; it is a highly complex mathematical and physical process. In recent years, the National Hydrometeorological Service of Azerbaijan has undergone a massive digital transformation.
Traditional weather stations, where measurements were taken manually by specialists, are being massively replaced by Automated Meteorological Stations (AMS). These smart devices transmit data on temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and wind speed in real time, 24 hours a day, to a unified analytical center in Baku.
A special pride of the Service is the introduction of modern Doppler weather radars.
Installed at strategically important points (for example, in Shamakhi and Goygol), these radars can scan the atmosphere within a radius of hundreds of kilometers. They detect the approach of thunderstorm fronts, gale-force winds, and hail with incredible precision, giving weather forecast the ability to issue a public warning hours before a severe weather event strikes.
To make the information as easy to understand as possible for the general public, the Hydrometeorological Service of Azerbaijan has implemented an international color-coded warning system. Readers of news feeds regularly encounter these terms:
Yellow Warning: The weather is potentially dangerous. Precipitation, gusty winds, or thunderstorms are expected, which may cause localized inconveniences (such as traffic jams or the falling of old tree branches). Basic caution is required.
Orange Warning: The weather is dangerous. Severe phenomena are forecasted (strong storms, hurricane-force winds, heavy snowfall) that can lead to property damage, power outages, and transport delays.
Red Warning: The weather is very dangerous. There is a high probability of major destruction and catastrophes, with a direct threat to human life (devastating mudflows, extreme heat, or abnormal frost). The public is strongly advised not to leave safe shelters.
Azerbaijan, like the rest of the world, is facing the harsh consequences of global climate change. The Hydrometeorological Service is recording alarming trends: rising average annual temperatures, more frequent summer heatwaves, the shallowing of the Kura and Araz rivers, as well as fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea. The data collected by Azerbaijani meteorologists forms the foundation for state programs on agricultural adaptation and water resource management.
The Service is a full and active member of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). A close exchange of satellite data, climate models, and expertise with foreign colleagues allows Azerbaijan to remain an integral part of the global natural disaster early warning system.
Today, the National Hydrometeorological Service is Azerbaijan's high-tech shield, saving lives daily, protecting the economy, and helping citizens plan their future based on precise scientific data.
Baku 13° C
