Indian summer is the beginning of autumn

Many people believe that Indian summer is The best time of the year. This period was sung in his poems by F. Tyutchev, Olga Berggolts, Leonid Vasyukovich. He was glorified in the fine arts. It has found its reflection in popular proverbs and signs. But what caused this natural phenomenon, when it comes and how long it lasts - many on this account can not give a coherent response. There is also confusion with the concepts "Indian summer" and "golden autumn". Let's try to figure it out.

Whence such name

Despite the differences in the climate, in all countries of Europe, the USA and Canada there is this time. True, it does not always coincide in terms, which is understandable: in the north it comes earlier, in the south - later. The name of the natural phenomenon has arisen organically: the harvest has ended, and old women can warm their bones on the mound, rejoicing at the last heat. But not all peoples this time is designated by the term "Indian summer". it The time of Saint Martin (November 11) in Spain, Portugal and Italy; Michael (September 28) in Serbia, Croatia; San Denis - in France. In Bulgaria, it is called "Gypsy summer", and in the US and Canada - "Indian". Czechs call this time "Semenna - panna Maria", Carpathian Slavs - "women's frosts." And in the subtropics this period is called the "velvet season".

Why is the Indian summer?

This natural phenomenon is associated with the action of the so-called Azores anticyclone. After the first cooling, which occurs in different territories at different times, the air masses , which have warmed over the summer, form a vast zone of high pressure. Together with the western trade winds, it begins its advance to the east. In Western Europe, it is almost not noticed: there and so under the influence of the Gulf Stream, summer reigns. But in the west of Russia, the Indian summer is Long-awaited joy after the first blow of the approaching winter. Rains and fogs end, the air warms up to + 25 ° C during the day. The air is clear and pure, long threads of spider web gleam in the bright sun.

The duration of Indian summer

Since this climatic phenomenon also depends on the weather, there are no clear dates for the offensive, completion and duration of the Indian summer. If July-August were cool, then the Azores anticyclone appears weakly. In certain years of Indian summer does not happen at all, but in others - there are two "waves" of this wonderful time. By the way, Russians have special definitions for these cycles: "young Indian summer" (late August - early September) and "old" (from several days to a week in the second half of the ninth month of the year). Therefore, even meteorologists are difficult to predict when the Indian summer will begin. 2013 The year was typical for Russia's climate. But what can we expect in the next?

Confusion in terms of

Because of the fact that in Russia the Indian summer falls at the time of yellowing of foliage and often goes in two waves, many people confuse it with sometimes golden autumn. At the beginning or in the middle of October, a few days of dry, clear and moderately warm weather fall out, when the autumn sun still warms the air to + 15-20 ° C. But in Ukraine these two periods are clearly delineated. "Babya" time comes when the summer "entourage": the foliage is still green, the meadow flowers are blossoming. Chestnuts and acacias, deceived by the heat that has set in after the cooling, begin to bloom a second time. And it does not matter how many Indian summer (2013 met this time in mid-September), the golden autumn comes to Ukraine, usually in the second decade of October.