Ukraine's average temperature reached a record high 10.7 degrees in 2020 - it previously only exceeded 10C in 2007, 2015 and 2019
KYIV, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Ukraine's average annual air temperature in 2020 exceeded the average long-term level by 2.2 degrees Celsius and reached a record high 10.7 degrees, Ukrainian state-run weather forecasting body said on Tuesday.
Previously, only in 2007, 2015 and 2019, did the average annual temperature exceed 10 degrees, it said in a report.
Forecasters said average annual rainfall in Ukraine was 8% lower than the norm and the lowest levels were registered in eastern Donetsk, Luhansk and Mykolayiv regions.
Ukraine is a traditional grower of grains and the harvest greatly depends on the weather conditions. Ukraine accounted for about 16% of global grain exports in the 2019/20 season.
The warming in the last decade has significantly expanded the area under heat-loving corn, but has reduced grain sowing in the south where a moisture deficit has been recorded.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; editing by David Evans)
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