Many people think Indian summer is the best time of the year. This period was sung in their poems by F. Tyutchev, Olga Berggolts, Leonid Vasyukovich. He was famous in the visual arts. It found its reflection in folk proverbs and signs. But what caused this natural phenomenon, when it occurs and how long it lasts - many cannot give a coherent answer on this score. There is also confusion with the concepts of "Indian summer" and "golden autumn". Let's try to figure it out.
Where does the name come from
Despite the differences in climates, all countries in Europe, the US and Canada have this time. True, it does not always coincide in time, which is understandable: in the north it comes earlier, in the south - later. The name of the natural phenomenon arose organically: the harvest is over, and old women can warm their bones on the mound, enjoying the last warmth. But not all nations mark this timethe term "Indian summer". This is the time of Saint Martin (November 11) in Spain, Portugal and Italy; Michael (September 28) in Serbia, Croatia; San Denis is in France. In Bulgaria, it is customary to call it "gypsy summer", and in the USA and Canada - "Indian". The Czechs call this time "Semenna - Panna Maria", the Carpathian Slavs - "Indian frosts". And in the subtropics, this period is called the “velvet season.”
What causes Indian summer?
This natural phenomenon is associated with the action of the so-called Azores anticyclone. After the first cooling, which occurs at different times in different territories, the air masses warmed up during the summer form a vast zone of high pressure. She, along with the western trade winds, begins its advance to the east. In Western Europe, it is almost not noticed: there, under the influence of the Gulf Stream, summer reigns. But in the west of Russia, Indian summer is a long-awaited consolation after the first breath 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 strands of cobwebs glisten in the bright sun.
Duration of Indian summer
Since this climatic phenomenon also depends on the weather, there are no clear dates for the onset, end and duration of the Indian summer. If July-August were cool, then the Azores anticyclone manifests itself weakly. In certain years there is no Indian summer at all, while in others there are two “waves” of this wonderful season. By the way, Russians have special definitions for these cycles: “young Indian summer” (the endAugust - early September) and "old" (from several days to a week in the second half of the ninth month of the year). Therefore, even meteorologists find it difficult to predict when Indian summer will begin. 2013 was a typical year for Russia's climate. But what can we expect next?
Confusion of concepts
Due to the fact that in Russia the Indian summer falls on the time of yellowing of the foliage and often comes in two waves, many people confuse it with sometimes golden autumn. In early or mid-October, there are several days of dry, clear and moderately warm weather, when the autumn sun still warms the air up to +15-20 °C. But in Ukraine, these two periods are clearly demarcated. "Woman's" time comes with a full summer "entourage": the foliage is still green, meadow flowers are blooming. Chestnuts and acacias, deceived by the heat that came after the cold snap, begin to bloom a second time. And no matter what date the Indian summer is (2013 met this time in mid-September), golden autumn comes to Ukraine, as a rule, in the second decade of October.
