Millions of Moscow residents were placed under a heat advisory Thursday as forecasters warned of potentially record-breaking temperatures, just days after powerful storms swept through the capital.
City services were placed on high alert amid forecasts that temperatures could reach 34 degrees Celsius (93.2°F) on Thursday and remain elevated until the weekend.
If reached, that would surpass Moscow’s previous daily record of 33.4°C, set on July 10, 1996, according to Yevgeny Tishkovets, chief forecaster at the Phobos weather center.
Tishkovets also said the capital recorded its warmest night since 1996 between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.
“We expect temperature records in Rostov-on-Don, Luhansk [in occupied Ukraine], Kaluga and Moscow,” he told state television.
The heat wave follows two consecutive days of storms that brought down trees and caused damage across the Moscow region, with some areas reporting hail as large as 2.5 centimeters (nearly 1 inch) in diameter.
Forecasters expect the heat in Moscow to break on Saturday, with at least three more days of storms to follow.
Meanwhile, southern Russia has seen temperatures soar past 40°C (104°F), sparking wildfires in the Rostov and Krasnodar regions.
Climate scientists have long warned that Russia, warming 2.5 times faster than the global average, is increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events, including prolonged heat waves and heavy rainfall.
Modeling suggests that the risk of such heat waves in western Russia could climb from less than 1% in 2010 to over 10% by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
