Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Synoptic Patterns of Dry‐Hot Winds ( Sukhoviys ) in Ukraine

ABSTRACT

This study analyses dry‐hot winds, or sukhoviys , a recurrent phenomenon during the warm season across most regions of Ukraine. Sukhoviys promote rapid moisture loss from soil and vegetation, inducing acute stress on crops and intensifying drought effects during critical growth periods. Defining a sukhoviy as an event characterised by air temperature ≥ 25°C, relative humidity ≤ 30% and wind speed ≥ 5 m s ⁻¹ , we identified sukhoviy events over the period 1973–2025 using observational data from 34 meteorological stations. Using the Sukhoviy Station Index (SSI), we assessed the activity of sukhoviy events across Ukraine, taking into account their meteorological characteristics and frequency of occurrence. Based on a compiled catalogue of sukhoviy episodes and the Sukhoviy‐Day Index (SDI), the most intense events were identified with respect to duration and spatial extent. The largest number of sukhoviy days occurs in summer, particularly in July–August, averaging 3–4 days per month, with temperatures of 30°C–32°C or higher. Short episodes lasting 1–2 days are the most common, accounting for 67% of all cases. Prolonged episodes of 10 days or more represent approximately 3% of events; nevertheless, such episodes may simultaneously affect up to 16–19 stations. At several stations, an increase in sukhoviy days with temperatures above 30°C has been detected since 2007. Analysis of atmospheric circulation conditions shows a predominance of types associated with easterly air‐mass advection, with sukhoviys also frequently observed during southerly advection and the eastward extension of anticyclonic ridges from the west.