The surface part of the Black Sea has warmed by 2 degrees over the past 30 years; this year the water temperature did not drop for a long time due to the warm autumn; this is a dangerous situation, due to which catastrophic storms can occur more often than usual, the head of the Laboratory of Experimental Physics of the Ocean at the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Andrey Zatsepin told RIA Novosti.

"This year, July was very hot and warm weather continued in autumn, so the sea, its upper layer, turned out to be about 1-2 degrees warmer than in other years. This is a very dangerous thing when the sea is in such a warm state at the change of seasons... Because of this, atmospheric cyclones, which usually come from the west or northwest over the sea, can intensify and reach storm force," said Zatsepin.

The scientist explained that the catastrophic storms that happen from time to time occur precisely because of the temperature contrast: when cold air comes from the north, and warm air comes from the sea, a difference in atmospheric pressure occurs, which manifests itself in strong winds.

"This problem, I think, will now accompany us as long as the process of global warming continues. More and more often there will be such catastrophic atmospheric phenomena as last year, on November 27-28, when the wind drove giant waves that destroyed our automated observation station, located at a depth of 25 m near Gelendzhik," said Zatsepin.

In July, the water in the Black Sea near the coasts of Sochi, Tuapse and Yeysk warmed up to 28 degrees. Scientific director of the Russian Hydrometeorological Center Roman Vilfand called this "a very rare event." Also, according to the forecaster, the velvet season in the south of Russia lasted longer than usual this year - until mid-October.