On January 26, Minsk / Tatyana Lobas - BELTA /. A fundamental shift has occurred in the seasonal atmospheric processes. The Atlantic and its cyclones, which caused abnormally warm weather in the first half of January, have given way to the strengthening Siberian anticyclone "Cooper," Lyudmila Parashchuk, chief meteorologist at the Republican Hydrometeorological Centre, told a BELTA correspondent. A stable high-pressure area has formed over Asia. All this gives grounds to assume that the frosts that have set in Belarus will be prolonged and intensifying. In the coming days, frosts will intensify across most of Belarus. Air temperature at night will be minus 12-18 degrees Celsius, and in the eastern half, it will drop to minus 19-23 degrees Celsius. During the day, it will be minus 8-13 degrees Celsius, with forecasts of up to minus 15 degrees Celsius in the east of the country. Over the upcoming weekend, the republic will remain on the southwestern periphery of the Siberian anticyclone, which is moving towards Finland. Cold weather will persist. Nighttime air temperature will be minus 13-20 degrees Celsius, while daytime frosts will weaken to minus 8-15 degrees Celsius. In the east of the country, nighttime temperatures are forecast to be minus 21-25 degrees Celsius, with some areas expected to experience up to minus 27 degrees Celsius, and daytime temperatures of minus 16-18 degrees Celsius. This temperature is 6-10 degrees Celsius below the climatic norm. At the beginning of next week, frosts will continue to intensify, as another anticyclone will move from the Arctic region to the European territory of Russia. Its cold breath will also affect Belarus. Nighttime air temperatures are expected to be up to minus 18-23 degrees Celsius, with daytime temperatures of minus 10-17 degrees Celsius. In the eastern and northeastern regions, nighttime temperatures are forecast to be minus 24-29 degrees Celsius, and daytime temperatures of minus 18-20 degrees Celsius. This is 8-13 degrees Celsius below the climatic norm. The current frosts, following the abnormally warm first half of winter, will be severe, but they are far from record-breaking, noted the chief meteorologist of the Republican Hydrometeorological Centre. The only thing is that they may prove to be prolonged, she clarified. -0-

BELTA