ULAN BATOR, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Western provinces such as Bayan-Ulgii, Uvs, and Khovd in Mongolia are likely to experience the extreme wintry weather "dzud" this winter, the country's National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring said on Saturday.
"A recent risk assessment of the dzud showed that nearly 20 percent of the total territory of our country is at high risk of experiencing dzud this winter, and more than 30 percent is at medium risk," the weather monitoring agency said in a statement.
As of Saturday, more than 70 percent of the country's total territory has been covered with snow of up to 30 cm thick, increasing a high risk of experiencing the extreme wintry weather "dzud" this winter, it added.
Dzud is a Mongolian term to describe a severely cold winter when a large number of livestock die because the ground is frozen or covered with snow.
Mongolia is known for its harsh continental climate, marked by long, frigid winters and short summers. ■
