Astana, 24 October. Overnight into 24 October the Emergencies Ministry restricted traffic on 22 sections of national and 5 sections of regional roads in Pavlodar, Karaganda, Abai, Akmola and East Kazakhstan regions because of worsening weather and temperatures below minus 3 °C, Zakon.kz reports.
The restrictions apply to lorries and to vehicles with trailers and semi-trailers that are not fitted with winter tyres; cars may use these sections. The Emergencies Ministry urged drivers to take the weather into account, fit winter tyres, observe the restrictions and keep off closed sections. A day earlier in the east of the country, seven employees of an energy company working on power lines got stuck in a snowdrift.
For 24 October the weather service Kazhydromet issued a storm warning for 16 regions. Snow, ice, fog and blizzards are expected in several regions, and dust storms and strong winds in the south and west. Frosts are forecast in Almaty, Shymkent and Almaty, Zhambyl and Zhetysu regions, in places down to minus 7 °C. At the same time, high and extreme fire danger persists in several regions.
Another warning concerns the air. Unfavourable weather conditions are expected on 24 October in Aktobe and Almaty and at night in Astana and Kokshetau. This is what forecasters call a combination of calm, light wind, fog and temperature inversion, in which emissions from cars and boiler houses do not disperse but accumulate near the ground.
The weather is turning just in time for a long weekend: 25 October, a Sunday, is Republic Day, so the day off moves to Monday, 26 October, and people on a five-day week get three days off in a row.
What it means: The first serious cold snap of the autumn has already closed parts of highways in the north and east to lorries on summer tyres. Snow, blizzards and ice are expected precisely over the holiday, when many travel to see relatives.
Who benefits: The restrictions protect all road users from accidents involving heavy vehicles. Hauliers and long-distance drivers lose time on the road or have to change tyres in a hurry; holiday travellers should check whether highways are open before setting off.
Background: In winter the Emergencies Ministry regularly closes highway sections to heavy vehicles during blizzards, ice and frost; similar restrictions were introduced in several regions in January 2025.
List of sources used: Zakon.kz, Kazinform, CDB
Artificial intelligence was used in preparing this material.
