Azerbaijan’s National Hydrometeorological Service has issued a weather warning for Oct. 1-5, forecasting heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail, strong winds and a sharp drop in temperatures across much of the country.
An orange warning is in effect for Neftchala and Gobustan on Oct. 2-3, where westerly wind gusts may reach 20.8 to 28.4 meters per second, according to Vesti Baku.
A yellow warning covers Quba, Qusar, Khachmaz, Shabran, Siyazan, Khizi, Ismayilli, Gabala, Hajigabul, Salyan, Lankaran, Astara, Jalilabad, Bilasuvar, Kalbajar, Lachin, Julfa, Mingachevir, Sabirabad, Shirvan, Dashkasan, Gadabay, Naftalan and Goranboy. Gusts in those areas are expected to reach 13.9 to 20.7 meters per second.
From Oct. 1 through Oct. 5, forecasters expect periods of heavy rain, thunderstorms and hail in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Karabakh and East Zangezur, the Gazakh-Ganja and Balakan-Sheki regions, the Central Aran area, Quba-Qusar and Mountainous Shirvan. Snow is possible at high elevations.
Water levels are expected to rise in rivers, with short-term floods and mudflows possible in some waterways of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus and the Lankaran-Astara region. Temperatures are forecast to fall by 5 to 8 degrees Celsius.
The National Hydrometeorological Service published separate warnings on Sept. 30 about unstable weather during the first days of October and yellow and orange alerts for strong winds on Oct. 2-3.