Odessa Flooded with 224% of Monthly Rainfall Norm: Climate Scientists Explain

Extreme Rainfall in Odessa: Causes and Consequences

Yesterday, September 30, 2025, Odessa experienced an unexpected downpour of 94 mm. This is double the usual monthly rainfall norm!

Senior researcher at the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute, Anastasia Chigareva, explained that such extreme weather events are occurring more frequently in Ukraine. Over the past 10 years, Odessa has recorded as many as 14 heavy rainfalls, while in the previous decade, there were only 2-3.

'In Odessa, a nearly typical autumn circulation for our latitudes occurred, where warm, moisture-laden air masses formed over the Black Sea interacted with colder anticyclones over land,'

said the scientist.

Studies have found that the temperature of the sea influences such anomalous rainfall. However, it is not only the amount of rainfall that causes problems, but also the fact that the old drainage system of the city cannot cope with such volumes of water, leading to flooding.

Experts assert that this is just one manifestation of climate change, which is becoming increasingly evident through a growing number of extreme weather events, concludes Anastasia Chigareva.

Summary: On September 30, 2025, record heavy rains were recorded in Odessa, indicating an increase in extreme weather events in the region. The cause of such rainfall is the autumn atmospheric circulation interacting with the elevated sea temperatures. Urban infrastructures are not prepared for such volumes of rainfall, leading to serious drainage problems.