Bitter Arctic air grips Moscow by Darren Bett
Icy winds blowing across Siberia from the Arctic have sent temperatures plunging across western Russia.
The blast of northerly winds, coming around a large high pressure system, has brought to an end a spell of mild weather in the region. Moscow saw a mild day on Monday with a daytime high of -1°C (30°F), but then on Monday night temperatures in the city plummeted to -28°C (-18°F). On Tuesday the mercury only struggled to -21°C (-6°F). The daytime average in Moscow in January is -6°C (21°F), and reports suggested that the capital hadn’t seen anything as cold for a decade.
The cold weather has brought fears of power cuts as demand on energy supplies soar. If temperatures stay below -25°C (-13°F) or for three or more days, it is reported that power to all non-essential points will be shut off, starting with electric-lit advertising billboards.
City officials are asking the police to help the homeless find official shelters, and allow stray dogs to stay sheltering inside railway stations and other such places from where they’re normally chased away.
Forecasters from RosHydroMet, Russia’s national weather service, said that overnight temperatures in the Moscow region could drop as low as -37°C (-35°F) by the weekend.
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