In portions of Siberia, temperatures experienced a substantial drop to as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius (equivalent to minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit), creating severe blizzards that enveloped Moscow in an unprecedented snowfall, leading to flight disruptions as wintry conditions traversed through Russia.
The Sakha Republic, situated in the northeastern expanse of Siberia and housing Yakutsk, renowned as one of the world's coldest cities, encountered temperatures dipping below minus 50 degrees Celsius, as indicated by the region's weather monitoring stations.
An unusually early onset of cold weather in Sakha pushed temperatures to levels even lower than minus 50 degrees Celsius in various areas, highlighting the expansive nature of Sakha, slightly smaller than India, with almost all of its territory located in the permafrost zone. In Yakutsk, the region's capital, positioned about 5,000 km (3,100 miles) east of Moscow, temperatures ranged from approximately minus 44 to minus 48 degrees Celsius.
Instances of temperatures plummeting to minus 50 degrees Celsius have become less frequent in recent years, partly attributed to climate change, which has triggered discernible signs of permafrost thawing.
Meanwhile, Moscow experienced some of the most substantial snowfalls on record, leading to delays at certain airports on Monday, where runways were coated in thick layers of snow. At least 54 flights encountered delays, and an additional five were canceled at the capital's three major airports, as reported by the RIA news agency. Moscow's temperatures were predicted to decline to approximately minus 18 degrees Celsius later in the week.
