Yakutsk, Russia
Reuters
Arctic weather enfolded swathes of Russia on Tuesday, with temperatures in the wilds of Siberia falling to minus 58 degrees Celsius.
Yakutsk, one of the world’s coldest cities which lies some 5,000 kilometres east of Moscow, was covered in freezing clouds and fog, drone footage showed.
Pedestrians walk along a street on a frosty day in Yakutsk, Russia, on 5th December, 2023. PICTURE: Reuters/Roman Kutukov
“I specially came here to Yakutsk to experience such weather – so I am lucky as in December you don’t usually get it,” said Danila, whose beard, hat and scarf were caked in ice.
“I am actually not that cold as I prepared properly,” he said. “If I had not got the right clothes, I would be frozen in minutes.”
He said that the extreme temperatures made his coat much stiffer, while his phone lost charge within minutes. Two pairs of gloves were essential, as well as layers of clothes.
Temperatures in parts of the Sakha Republic, a vast region a little smaller than India that is located in the northeastern part of Siberia, went below minus 55 overnight.
In Oymyakon, a settlement in Sakha, the temperature was minus 58 degrees on Tuesday. Weather forecasters said that would feel like minus 63 degrees given the humidity and wind.
Vendor Yegor Dyachkovsky stands next to deep-frozen fish at an open-air market on a frosty day in Yakutsk, Russia, on 5th December, 2023. PICTURE: Reuters/Roman Kutukov
At the market in Yakutsk, fish were sold deep frozen, packed in dozens of boxes at the market. No freezer was needed. The saleswomen were muffled in large fur hats.
“It is cold,” said one resident, Pyotr. “You need to just have the right quality clothes and then everything will be okay. The main thing is to keep moving so your blood circulates.”
