On January 12,  representatives of Belhydromet participated in a press conference at the National Press Centre of the Republic of Belarus , dedicated to the results of hydrometeorological activities in 2025. First Deputy Head of Belhydromet, Tatsiana Chаtyrka , presented a report highlighting the organisation's key achievements and areas of work. Tatsiana Chаtyrka noted that in the context of a growing number of extreme weather events, Belhydromet prioritises the development of monitoring and forecasting systems. In 2025, the large-scale modernization of the observation network continued with 5 new automatic weather stations (AWS) of Belarusian production being commissioned. The installation of another 5 AWS is planned for the following year. The modernization of 5 existing observation points has been carried out, and the network of precipitation observations in regional cities and Minsk has been expanded. Particular attention is paid to personnel training . Belhydromet specialists undertake training in master's and postgraduate programmes at the Belarusian State University and at the Russian State Hydrometeorological University. Belhydromet actively develops international cooperation , especially with Roshydromet. Continuous operational data exchange has been established. An important platform is the Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Thanks to the measures being implemented, a consistently high level of weather forecast accuracy has been ensured . The accuracy of warnings for adverse and hazardous hydrometeorological phenomena exceeds 97%. Details are available on the YouTube channel of the National Press Centre of the Republic of Belarus. When using the information a reference to Belhydromet is obligatory

Photos of the " light pillars " that residents of the Brest region recently observed have appeared on social networks in Belarus. The photos taken by a resident of Luninets immediately attracted the attention of Internet users. Many expressed surprise and admiration at such an unusual phenomenon. Specialists believe this visual effect could have occurred due to the presence of fine snowflakes in the air. Snow crystals form halos when light from the moon or lanterns is refracted into them, creating luminous pillars or arcs. This happens under specific weather conditions. Light pillars are most often observed in calm, frosty weather, which coincided with the conditions in the Luninets district on the previous night. The unusual sight attracted the attention of the townspeople and became the reason for numerous photos and discussions on social networks. In recent days, Belarus has been under the influence of Cyclone Ulli, which brought snowfall, but now its activity is decreasing. The information is taken from the website of the Branch "Brestoblhydromet"

Despite the difficult weather conditions, namely heavy snow and a blizzard, RUE Minsk National Airport continues to operate normally.  All specialised equipment is deployed for clearing snow from the runway and the entire airfield to ensure the operation of both scheduled and charter flights. It is becoming more difficult to clean the runway from constantly falling snow, as well as by moving it to already cleared areas. However, flight delays in such weather are minimal, as airport services work in a coordinated manner and clear the runway between flight operations. The service for aviation meteorological supply of Belhydromet plays a major role by promptly monitoring, analysing, and forecasting weather phenomena and conditions hazardous to aviation. In adverse weather conditions, the service's meteorological technicians provide minute-by-minute information on actual weather to RUE Minsk National Airport. Aviation forecasters provide advance warnings to all airport units, relay information to air traffic control personnel, and also brief flight crews before each departure on hazardous or complex weather conditions, including any deterioration or expected duration of dangerous phenomena. Thanks to timely forecasting and warnings of hazardous weather conditions, RUE Minsk National Airport continues flight operations even during severe weather. When using the information a reference to Belhydromet is obligatory

Cyclone Ulli formed over the Mediterranean Sea on the night of January 6, 2026, shifting in a northeasterly direction, and reached the territory of Ukraine on January 8. As a result, on the morning of January 8, the territory of our country was in the zone of active atmospheric fronts from the southern cyclone centered over the Kiev region. During the daytime, the snowfall zone covered most of the territory of Belarus, with the exception of the extreme northwestern regions of the country. Precipitation of varying intensity (snow, and rain in the far south-east) occurred over most of the territory. Heavy snow was observed across the southern half of the country. Meanwhile, mainly over the south-eastern half, winds strengthened with gusts of 15-18 m/s. The gusty wind and falling snow led to blizzard conditions and the formation of snow drifts on the republic's roads. According to the latest data, the cyclone's centre is stationary over the east of the Gomel Region, with most of Belarus remaining under the influence of its active atmospheric fronts. Overnight, snow of varying intensity fell over most areas, with rain noted in the far south-eastern regions. In Mogilev, very heavy snow was observed, amounting to 20 mm or more. Strong, gusty winds were recorded across most of the territory. The snowfall reduced visibility to 100-500 m and caused blizzard conditions. In some areas, minor glaze ice and rime deposits were noted. A scover with a height of 6-30 cm has formed in most parts of the country, 31-42 cm in places in the republic. According to the forecast for 9 January, the southern cyclone will continue to fill over the Gomel region. At the same time, a zone of intense snowfall is expected over the Minsk, Mogilev, and Vitebsk regions, where heavy snow, strong gusty winds, blizzards, and snow drifts on roads are anticipated for most of these territory. Heavy snow, strengthening winds with gusts of 15-20 m/s, and blizzard conditions are also possible in some areas of the Grodno region. On January 10-11 , it will continue to exert its influence on the territory of our country, gradually filling up and losing its activity. Consequently, snow (from light to moderate) will still be observed in most areas. At the same time, north-westerly winds in the cyclone's rear sector will bring in cold air of Arctic origin. As a result, the temperature on Sunday night will drop to -11°C -18°C, in clear weather it will drop to -23°C, and daytime highs will reach -8°C -15°C. When using the information a reference to Belhydromet is obligatory

January is the coldest winter month. Depending on the nature of the development of atmospheric processes, the January temperature in some years differs significantly from the norm. During the post-war period, January 1950, 1963 and 1969 turned out to be colder than usual (8-10°C below the climatic norm) compared to the norm of 1991-2020 (-4.1 °C), and January 1987 turned out to be exceptionally cold with an average monthly temperature of -16.3 °C (12.2 °C below the climatic norm).  Warmer than usual conditions, with temperatures 4-5.2°C above the norm, were observed in January 1989, 2007, and 2020. The warmest January on record was in 2025, when the average air temperature across the republic was +1.2°C, exceeding the climatic norm by 5.3°C. The absolute minimum air temperature was recorded at the Tolochin weather station on the night of 17 January 1940 (-42.2°C). The absolute maximum air temperature was recorded in Vysokoye on 1 January 2023 (+16.4°C). The frequency of thaw days in January ranges from 10 to 18. During January, snow cover typically increases. By the end of the month, its average depth is usually 4-17 cm. The average number of days with precipitation of 1 mm or more in January is 8-13. 29 to 57 mm of precipitation usually falls per month (the national average is 41 mm). With cyclonic weather, precipitation can exceed the norm by 2-3 times and reach 69-135 mm. The minimum amount of January precipitation in the anticyclonal weather regime does not exceed 1-9 mm. During the month, on average, there are from 1 to 9 days with fog , from 1 to 7 days with glaze , and from 1 to 8 days with frost . On average, there are 1-3 days with a snowstorm, increasing in some years to 4-10 days. The greatest gust of wind in January was recorded in Vasilevichi on January 11, 1975 (34 m/s). The following maximums have been recorded nationally in January : 29 days with glaze in Novogrudok in 1960; 25 days with hoar frost in Gorki in 1968; 23 days with fog in Volozhin in 1971; 247 hours (over 10 days) of continuous fog in Mogilev in 1936 and 244 hours in Novogrudok in 1960; 2 days with thunderstorms (in Mogilev in 1983 and in Gantsevichi in 1990); 15 days with blizzards in Mogilev in 1962; 150 hours (over 6 days) of continuous blizzard conditions in Mogilev in 1962. When using the information a reference to Belhydromet is obligatory

During the first month of winter, an average of 36 mm of precipitation fell in the republic, constituting 81% of the climatic norm. Precipitation was unevenly distributed across the country. Over most of the territory, 50-100% of the climatic precipitation norm was recorded. Precipitation fell in the form of rain, snow, and sleet. A snow cover formed in the middle of the second decade of December, but its presence was short-lived. During the third decade, the snow cover became established again and persisted until the end of the month. On the last day of last year, the maximum snow depth was recorded at the Mstislavl station, measuring 18 cm The average date for the appearance of the first snow cover across most of the republic falls between the 5th and 20th of November, while a stable snow cover typically establishes itself in December. During the cold season, the proportion of rainfall and mixed precipitation is increasingly growing. This is due to rising air temperatures, particularly in winter, which impedes snow accumulation. There are years when a stable snow cover forms as early as late October, while other winters have seen it establish only in late January or early February. Occasionally, snow doesn't persist continuously for an entire month; such years are classified as having no stable snow cover. The height of the snow cover mainly depends on the amount of precipitation and the temperature conditions of the cold period. In cold winters, there is a regular increase in the height of the snow cover during the winter. The maximum snow accumulation, depending on the temperature of early spring, occurs either at the end of February or in March.  The maximum recorded winter snow depth for the republic was registered in Lyntupy (72 cm) during the winter of 1964-65. When using the information a reference to Belhydromet is obligatory

An active southern cyclone, the centre of which will initially be located over the Kyiv region of Ukraine, will cause severe weather conditions across Belarus. For the night into Friday, 9 January, heavy snowfall of 7-19 mm is expected over most areas, with very heavy snowfall of 20-25 mm f orecast for the night in the Gomel and Mogilev regions . In many districts, blizzard conditions, snow drifts on roads, and gusty winds of 15-20 m/s are expected, with gusts locally up to 24 m/s in the Mogilev region during the night. Due to the anticipated very heavy snowfall, a red weather warning has been issued for the Gomel and Mogilev regions. In Minsk, heavy snow (11-16 mm), blizzard conditions, and strong gusty winds of 15-20 m/s are expected on the night of 9 January . During the day on 9 January 2026, heavy snow (7-14 mm), strong gusty winds, and blizzard conditions will persist across most of the territory.   Snow drifts on roads are expected. In Minsk during the day on 9 January, heavy snow (7-9 mm) and light blizzard conditions are forecast . When using the information a reference to Belhydromet is obligatory

Long-term meteorological observations allow us to form a fairly accurate picture of the climatic features of the year's first day. In Minsk, for example, over the entire observation period (since 1892), the average daily air temperature on January 1st is -5.7°C. It is interesting to note that about once every 7 years the average daily air temperature rises to 0°C and above. However, in the last decade, positive air temperatures in Minsk have been observed almost annually, indicating a trend towards milder winters. On the other hand, about once every 5 years, the average daily air temperature drops below -10°C, and once every 20 years – below -20°C. The temperature records are also impressive. The warmest day on January 1 with a maximum air temperature of +9.8°C was recorded in 2023, and the coldest in 1905, when the daytime air temperature dropped to -24.8°C. The coldest New Year's night, with a minimum air temperature of -29.8°C, was recorded in 1941. The warmest night was on January 1, 2023, when at the stroke of midnight the air temperature was +4.9°C, rising to +6.5°C by 6 AM. As for precipitation, the snowiest January 1 was in 1893, when 14.7 mm of precipitation fell per day, and the snow cover reached 36 cm. And the largest amount of precipitation fell on January 1, 2021 (20.1 mm), but due to the positive air temperature, precipitation fell in the form of sleet and rain. Statistics show that about once every 4 years in Minsk on New Year's Eve there is a snow cover with a height of more than 15 cm. However, such a height has not been observed since 2012. In the last 50 years, the new year without snow was celebrated in Minsk in 1975, 1976, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2005, 2007, 2014, 2018, 2024, 2025 years when there was no snow cover at all. Average daily air temperature in Minsk,°С 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2019 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 January 1st -3,4 -2,0 1,1 -1,4 -0,5 -10,3 0,6 1,4 -0,2 0,7 1,4 2,4 7,4 -2 2,8 Climate records in Belarus. The coldest New Year's Eve in the republic for the entire period of instrumental observations was in 1979 at the Yezerishche station, then the thermometers showed 32.1degrees Celsius. The warmest night was in 2023, when at midnight in Brest the air temperature was +11.5°С, and by 6 a.m. on January 1 in Grodno it was +13.2°С. The maximum snow height on January 1 was observed in 2011 at Verkhnedvinsk station and amounted to 44 cm. Now, more and more often, we celebrate the New Year without snow. This happens about once every 4-5 years in the central part, in the north once every 8 years, and in the extreme southwest of our country, every second New Year is snowless. The weather forecast for January 1, 2026 According to preliminary data, on January 1, 2026 (Thursday), there will be light snow in places across the republic at night. Snow mainly in the western half of the day, with a light snowstorm. There is ice on some sections of roads. The minimum air temperature at night is -10 -16°C, with clearings up to -20°C, the maximum during the day is from -12°C in the east to +1°C in the southwest. In conclusion, we would like to wish all readers a good mood during the New Year holidays, safe and pleasant winter holidays, no matter what weather January 1, 2026 presents us with!

On December 31, 2025, a new automatic meteorological station, "Peleng S-01" was inaugurated in a formal ceremony in the city of Chechersk. The opening ceremony was attended by Sergey Gaikov, Chairman of the Chechersk District Executive Committee; Sergey Malyukov, Chairman of the Chechersk District Council of Deputies; Sergey Luzhkov, Head of the Gomeloblhydromet Branch, Igor Fedorovich, Head of the Chechersk District Emergency Department, representatives of labor collectives and public organizations. "Peleng C-01" is a modern weather monitoring system that meets all the requirements of the World Meteorological Organization. It's manufactured by JSC "Peleng" a leading design and engineering enterprise in the optoelectronic industry of the Republic of Belarus. The station collects real-time data on temperature, air humidity, wind direction, meteorological visibility range, atmospheric pressure, and precipitation. It measures, processes, displays, stores, and distributes meteorological data. The new station will become part of the meteorological monitoring system of the Gomel region and Belarus as a whole. The information obtained with its help will improve the accuracy of local weather forecasts, the efficiency and accuracy of warnings about adverse and hazardous weather phenomena. The meteorological station was built as part of the implementation of the State Investment Program for 2025. In addition to the facility in Chechersk, four similar stations have also been commissioned in the Republic of Belarus this year. To ensure meteorological safety until 2030, the construction of an additional twenty similar facilities is planned in the republic. The meteorological station is a strategic facility that will contribute to strengthening security, sustainable development and economic efficiency of the Chechersky district. Its opening is an important event both for the Hydrometeorological Service of Belarus and for the region. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Sergey Luzhkov familiarized the leadership of the Chechersk district Executive Committee and the Council of Deputies with the design and operating principle of the station. The residents of the Chechersk district received an excellent New Year's gift!

From 19 December 2025 to 23 February 2026, Belhydromet, as part of the collective stand of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, is participating in the exhibition of achievements of sovereign Belarus, "My Belarus" , held at the Minsk International Exhibition Centre BELEXPО. As part of its exhibition space, the Ministry presents a unique area dedicated to the beauty of Belarusian nature and tourism opportunities. The "Natural Heritage" exposition is an oasis of living nature, created from natural materials. Here, you will hear birdsong and the babbling of a stream, immersing yourself in the atmosphere of a Belarusian forest. A special feature is a 1978 railcar from the "Ozery" Nature Reserve (Hrodna District, Ozery agro-town) , which marks the start of the "Zapavedny Shlyakh" (Reserved Path) eco-route  - the only narrow-gauge railway tourist route in Belarus that runs through a specially protected natural area. This attraction is particularly popular with tourists. What you will see along the route : - a bridge - the second longest engineering structure of its kind in the country and the only one spanning a lake. It offers panoramic views of the water body and surrounding landscapes. - forest bogs, oak groves, and meadows that have retained their pristine beauty.   Unique species of birds and animals found only in untouched natural corners. VR headsets will allow you to take a 3D tour along the narrow-gauge railway, see the bridge over Lake Azery, and enjoy the beauty of Belarusian landscapes. Continuing the tour, you will learn about the "Osveyskaye" Nature Reserve (Vitebsk Region, Verkhnyadzvinsk District) , with its unique ecosystems, Lake Osveyskaye and the island "Khozyain" ("The Master"). Rare birds and animals inhabit the area, including the brown bear and lynx. The reserve holds international status. A kayak on the bank of a river serves as an excellent photo opportunity. Topiary figures of deer and bears emphasise the harmony between humans and nature. The "Natural Heritage" exposition is an opportunity to see unique natural sites, learn about eco-routes, experience the atmosphere of Belarusian forests and lakes, and take memorable photographs. We look forward to welcoming you at the "My Belarus" exhibition!