Those who thought climate change would make Moscow a more pleasant place to live may be reconsidering their predictions.
As European capitals melt under record-breaking summer heat, Moscow is reeling from a cold spell that has been ruining residents’ summer plans for weeks.
The Russian capital has been hit by heavy rainfall and historically low temperatures starting in early July. The weather got so nasty that Moscow City Hall urged restaurant owners last week to keep their outdoor verandas closed.
With forecasters warning of an “ultrapolar invasion” later in the week, the cold snap is far from over.
A cold front could sweep through European Russia this Sunday, bringing wet snow and sleet to the northeastern Moscow region, Tatyana Pozdnyakova of the city meteorological bureau told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency. Russia's capital, however, will likely stay snow-free, she added.
“God forbid, not in Moscow,” Pozdnyakova was quoted as saying.
Still, she warned Muscovites to brace for heavy rainfall later this week in the event that snow misses the metropolis.
