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Moscow Metro to Hand Out Water to Commuters

Moscow authorities are planning to distribute free bottled water and hand fans to commuters during the hottest days of the summer, the Moscow metro announced Sunday.

More than 300,000 bottles of water, 200,000 refreshing hand wipes and 11,000 hand fans will be distributed underground during days when the heat is severe, a report on the official Moscow metro website said.

“The Moscow metro takes all the necessary measures to make a ride on the metro comfortable,” the report said, adding that the temperature and humidity in the metro are monitored 24 hours a day in all of the system's 196 stations and 304 vestibules.

Only 25 percent of Moscow's metro trains have climate control systems, however. Older trains are ventilated through panels on the roof or windows along the sides of the cars.

Although temperatures in the Russian capital climbed to 31 degrees Celsius on Sunday, cooler weather is expected this week.

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