There are four well-defined seasons. Sunshine days make up over 200 days of the year. The temperature fluctuate greatly not only within the year but also diurnally. The climate is harsh continental with low precipitation. According to the last 60 years' meteorological observation, average annual temperatures are around 8.5oC in the Gobi and -7.8oC in the mountainous areas. The extreme minimum temperature is -Sl.loC to -52.9oC in January and the extreme maximum temperature is +28oC to +43. loC in July. The annual precipitation is low, averaging 200-220 millimetres and ranging from less than 50 millimetres per year in the extreme south (Gobi and Desert region) to 400 millimetres per year in limited areas in the north. Most precipitation occurs in June, July and August.
The driest months are from November to March. Meteorological records for the last 60 years show that the annual air temperature increased by 1.56oC on average, this increase was greater in the winter (3.61oC) and smaller in the spring (1.4-1.5oC), but the summer temperature decreased by -0.3oC. Looking at particular months reveals that there is a rapid temperature increase in the months of May and September and there is not much change in April.The summer temperature drop appears mainly in June and July. Changes in temperature have also spatial character. Winter warming is more pronounced in the high mountains and mountain valleys and less in the steppe and Gobi and Desert. As well as this, the thawing out process of permafrost is intensively activating due to global wanning.
In addition, the cool condition for keeping the permafrost, which occupies 63 per cent of total Mongolian territory, is decreasing. Areas where an average temperature is less than OOC occupy 50 per cent of the territory of Mongolia. The duration of season with snow covering was shorter, and the process of soil erosion is activating in recent years. The number of days with a dust storm has increased three times within the country in the last 40 years. Between 1999-2002, more than 50 per cent of the territories of Mongolia suffered drought for the first time in 60 years. This was coupled with an increase in the frequency of natural disasters. This unfavourable climatic condition is one of the factors, exerting an adverse effect on Mongolian social and economic development. Meteorologists underline that environmental and ecological degradations are occurring not only from climate changes, but also from human activities.
