The response of cloudiness in the Atlantic-European section to the interannual variability of the North Atlantic Oscillations

The paper discusses the conditions corresponding to the largest and smallest North Atlantic Oscillations (NAOs). It is shown that in winter, when NAOs are at a minimum, the number of cyclones over the Black Sea increases. At the same time, cloudiness in the Atlantic-European section becomes heavier, compared with the largest NAO. Heavy cloudiness over the Balkan and Karpaty mountains, with NAO at a minimum, may imply the greater likelihood of Balkan cyclones’ penetration into the Black Sea region. The mechanism responsible for the generation of maximum (minimum) cloudiness in the Atlantic-European section is discussed. Translated by Vladimir A. Puchkin.