Down to -50C: Russians freeze to death as strongest-in-decades winter hits
RIA Novosti / Yakov Andreev
RIA Novosti / Aleksandr Kryazhev
The country has not witnessed such a long cold spell since 1938, meteorologists said, with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees lower than the seasonal norm all over Russia.
Across the country, 45 people have died due to the cold, and 266 have been taken to hospitals. In total, 542 people were injured due to the freezing temperatures, RIA Novosti reported.
The Moscow region saw temperatures of -17 to -18 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, and the record cold temperatures are expected to linger for at least three more days. Thermometers in Siberia touched -50 degrees Celsius, which is also abnormal for December.
RIA Novosti / Aleksey Malgavko
Across the country, heat pipelines have broken down due to the cold. In southeastern Russia’s Samara, the cold has broken down many heat pipelines, leaving hundreds of homes without heating, including an orphanage and a rest house. Many schools and kindergartens have been closed for almost a week.
The cold spell, along with snowfalls, has disrupted flights all over the country, and led to huge traffic jams. In the southern city of Rostov-on-Don some highways were closed due to snowfalls over the past two days, triggering a traffic collapse.
RIA Novosti / Aleksey Malgavko
More cold in the capital
Over the weekend, meteorologists predict temperatures will plunge even lower in the Moscow region, hitting -25. The Russian capital is also expected to be swept with snow, RIA Novosti reported.Temperatures have been 7 degrees lower than the norm for five days already, which is considered an anomaly, according to the Meteonovosti.ru website. The cold spell in the Moscow region is expected to continue for at least three more days.
Due to the high humidity, these freezing temperatures will feel even colder than they actually are, meteorologists explained.
RIA Novosti / Aleksey Malgavko
RIA Novosti / Aleksey Malgavko
RIA Novosti / Yakov Andreev
RIA Novosti / Aleksey Malgavko
RIA Novosti / Aleksandr Kryazhev
RIA Novosti / Aleksandr Kryazhev
RIA Novosti / Yakov Andreev
RIA Novosti / Aleksey Malgavko
RIA Novosti / Aleksandr Kryazhev
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