Changes in Seasonal Air Temperature Extremes in Moscow and the Central Regions of European Russia

For Moscow and the territory including some regions in the center of European Russia, changes in the following indices characterizing temperature extremes are analyzed: the seasonal number of days with temperature above the 90th percentile and below the 10th percentile, the seasonal duration of heat waves and cold waves, and the magnitude of the largest anomalies in a season (5th and 95th percentiles of average daily temperatures of the season). The long-period changes accompanying the modern warming are analyzed, as well as their features related to the decadal oscillations in the Atlantic-European circulation systems. In view of this, as well as of the issue of formation conditions for significant seasonal anomalies, the connection between the indices of extremes and the circulation indices is considered and described. To assess the impact of the Moscow heat island on the extreme temperature statistics, the estimates are obtained for Moscow and for the station of Mozhaisk located close to Moscow but out of the heat island impact area.