DUSHANBE, December 7, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- According to the preliminary weather forecast made by the Agency for Hydrometeorology, the winter is expected snow but not so cold this year.

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Mahmad Safarov, deputy director of the Agency for Hydrometeorology, said that they hade made a seasonal forecast for 2009 winter and submitted it to the government.

“Under this forecast the winter is expected to be not as cold as last year’s winter; on contrary, the temperature will be 1-2 degrees higher than during usual Tajikistan’s winter.  The lowest temperature is expected to be -12°C,” Safarov said, noting that the next snowfall is expected in Tajikistan on January 10-11.

According to him, Russian Hydromet has helped them make the seasonal forecast for the winter.  “We have made the seasonal forecast for the first time and it has consultative character,” said Safarov, “The forecast for the first seven days scores 95-99 percent, while the forecast for further days may score only 50-60 percent.”

He further added that Tajik specialists had taken training course on the seasonal forecasting at Russian Hydromet.