Editing Sea of Azov (section)

==Climate==
[[File:Shcholkine beach.jpg|thumb|Beach in [[Shcholkine|Shchyolkino]] in [[Crimea]]]]
The sea is relatively small and nearly surrounded by land. Therefore, its climate is continental with cold winters and hot and dry summers. In autumn and winter, the weather is affected by the [[Siberian High|Siberian Anticyclone]] which brings cold and dry air from [[Siberia]] with winds of 4–7&nbsp;m/s, sometimes up to 15&nbsp;m/s. Those winds may lower the winter temperatures from the usual −1 to −5&nbsp;°C to below −30&nbsp;°C. The mean mid-summer temperatures are 23–25&nbsp;°C with a maximum of about 40&nbsp;°C.<ref name=k66/> Winds are weaker in summer, typically 3–5&nbsp;m/s.<ref name=seas/> [[Precipitation (meteorology)|Precipitation]] varies between 312 and 528&nbsp;mm/year and is 1.5–2 times larger in summer than in winter.<ref name=bse1/>

Average water temperatures are 0–1&nbsp;°C in winter (2–3&nbsp;°C in the Kerch Strait) and 24–25&nbsp;°C in summer, with a maximum of about 28&nbsp;°C on the [[open sea]] and above 30&nbsp;°C near the shores. During the summer, the sea surface is usually slightly warmer than the air.<ref name=seas/><!-- owthatworks? --> Because of the [[wikt:shallow|shallow]] character of the sea, the temperature usually lowers by only about 1&nbsp;°C with depth, but in cold winters, the difference can reach 5–7&nbsp;°C.<ref name=seas/><ref name=k69/>

The winds cause frequent storms, with the waves reaching 6 metres in the Taganrog Bay, 2–4 metres near the southern shores, and 1 metre in the Kerch Strait. In the open sea, their height is usually 1–2 metres, sometimes up to 3 metres. Winds also induce frequent [[seiche]]s – [[standing wave]]s with an amplitude of 20–50&nbsp;cm and lasting from minutes to hours. Another consequence of the winds is [[water current]]s. The prevailing current is a [[counterclockwise]] [[wikt:swirl|swirl]] due to the westerly and south-westerly winds. Their speed is typically less than 10&nbsp;cm/s, but can reach 60–70&nbsp;cm/s for 15–20&nbsp;m/s winds. In the bays, the flow is largely controlled by the inflow of the rivers and is directed away from the shore.<ref name=k67/> In the Kerch Strait, the flow is normally toward the Black Sea due to the predominance of northern winds and the water inflow from the rivers; its average speed is 10–20&nbsp;cm/s, reaching 30–40&nbsp;cm in the narrowest parts.<ref name=k68>Kostianoy, p. 68</ref> Although the sea is not subject to tidal variation, there are seasonal changes in the observed sea level of up to {{convert|10|-|20|in}}, caused by seasonal variations in river outflows.<ref>{{cite book |title=Black Sea Pilot |date=1927 |publisher=[[United States Hydrographic Office]] |page=44 |chapter=Water level variation}}</ref>

[[File:Ice-breaker Captan Demidov.jpg|thumb|An [[icebreaker]] on the Sea of Azov.]]
The shallowness and low [[salinity]] of the sea make it vulnerable to freezing during the winter. [[Fast ice]] bands ranging from 7&nbsp;km in the north to 1.5&nbsp;km in the south can occur temporarily at any time from late December to mid-March. Several ships were trapped in ice in 2012 when it froze over.<ref name=brit12>{{Cite web|url=http://www.odin.tc/2012/azoven.asp|title=Vessels trapped in ice in Azov sea|website=www.odin.tc|accessdate=Jul 29, 2022}}</ref> The ice thickness reaches {{convert|30|–|40|cm}} in most parts of the sea and 60–80&nbsp;cm in the Taganrog Bay.<ref name=k68/> The ice is often unstable and piles up to the height of several metres. Before the introduction of [[icebreaker]]s, navigation was halted in the winter.<ref name=k69>Kostianoy, p. 69</ref>