Severe Afghan winter could put off ground operations
Defence chiefs conceded today that land operations inside Afghanistan would be virtually impossible during winter months that have seen temperatures tumble to minus 21C (minus 6F) in the past.
The land-locked and mountainous landscape means that Afghanistan experiences a climate that is in stark contrast to much of Pakistan or India.
During the winter months it becomes a victim of the severe weather in Russia which blows cold air over much of the country.
Pakistan and India are sheltered from these winds by mountains that border the east of Afghanistan.
These mountains conversely stop Afghanistan benefiting from humid monsoon winds from the south.
Temperatures in the capital, Kabul, which represents the climate of much of central and eastern Afghanistan, fall to an average minimum of minus 8C (18F) in January, with the lowest ever figure recorded at minus 21C (minus 6F).
Kabul is almost 6,000ft above sea level and the capital can see 25 inches of snowfall during February.
But snow and plummeting temperatures cause the most problems in the mountains of the Hindu Kush, where the highest peak, Tirich Mir, stands at 25,282ft.
A spokesman from the PA WeatherCentre said that it was impossible to estimate exactly how low temperatures would get in the mountains, as measurements for Afghanistan are scarce.
He said: ‘‘They don’t care about recording the weather in Afghanistan because they see it as the will of God - people can’t do anything about it.’’
But he said that exposure to biting winds in the cold winter months was a primary factor for refugees trying to survive the harsh conditions.
‘‘If they have a strong wind blowing then the wind chill factor is going to be very high.’’
But he added: ‘‘Anyone outside is going to have a problem whether the temperature is 0C or -10C.’’
He also said that winter could make its presence felt as early as November if the country was in store for a particularly severe cold season.
‘‘If things don’t work out too well for them then November could be very cold indeed,’’ he said.
