Armenia to see sharp shift to warm weather next week

Armenia will experience a sharp shift in weather conditions next week, with a Mediterranean cyclone bringing snow and rain before subtropical air ushers in a sharp rise in temperatures, a senior meteorologist said on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference, Gagik Surenyan, deputy director of the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center, said the cyclone will remain over the country until April 13, delivering widespread precipitation. Snow is forecast in mountainous regions, including Shirak, Lori, Tavush foothills, Aragatsotn, Kotayk, Vayots Dzor, and Gegharkunik. Rainfall will intensify between April 10 and 13, accompanied by gusts of up to 14 meters per second. Blizzards and poor visibility are expected in high-altitude areas.

Temperatures are set to drop by 5–7C on April 13, but conditions will reverse from April 14–16 as cold northern air retreats and warm subtropical currents from the Middle East arrive. Surenyan said this will lift temperatures by 8–10C between April 15 and 18. By April 17–18, highs are forecast at 15C in mountain zones, 18–20C in foothills, and 20–22C in Yerevan and the Ararat Valley.

After April 18, another cyclone is expected to reach Armenia, bringing renewed rainfall.