Estonia in the middle of climate changes

The traces of climate changes in Estonia and Europe are studied. The extreme weather conditions of the past times and discussions related to global climate change have brought the issue of climate more and more often to the interest of general republic. The authors look into the weather statistics of Estonia, and, based on numerous graphs, diagrams and tables present the major changes over the past hundred years. In general, spring is the season that is most affected by climate change. Springs get earlier and warmer, for example, during the past 50 years the air temperature of March has arisen four degrees in Tartu. Winters, on the other hand, are getting shorter with less snow. The phenological data confirm climate change in Estonia. The plants that flower in spring, start flowering earlier and earlier. Some phenological phases start as much as three weeks earlier compared to fifty years ago. (author)