Moscow is sweltering again today as a severe heatwave pushes temperatures above 35°C, breaking a nearly 30-year-old record, according to the national meteorological service.
In the Russian capital, the previous temperature record for July 10 was 33.4°C, set in 1996. Yesterday, that record was broken when thermometers hit 33.9°C. Forecasters warn that another record may be set today, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 36°C.
The heatwave is expected to persist through the beginning of next week across central and southern European Russia. The Russian Meteorological Center predicts temperatures will remain 3 to 8 degrees above seasonal averages.
Since the beginning of the week, when the heatwave settled over Moscow, many residents have fled to their countryside dachas or sought relief in city parks and fountains. The heat has been particularly brutal for outdoor workers and the elderly.”It’s difficult, I’m on medication,” said 86-year-old Valentina Alexandrovna. “I don’t remember experiencing this kind of heat before,” she added.
Some people have even resorted to swimming in polluted ponds and canals despite an official ban. “The water is dirty, just look. We’re here because it’s easier to breathe near the water. I went in once — I doubt I’ll do it again,” said Igor, a 55-year-old man visiting Moscow from Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
Scientists have long warned about the impacts of climate change, predicting that extreme weather events such as heatwaves and droughts will become more intense and more frequent.
