YAKUTSK: Unrelenting Arctic weather has descended upon vast stretches of Russia, bringing bone-chilling temperatures to Siberia, with some areas experiencing readings as low as minus 58 degrees Celsius (minus 72 degrees Fahrenheit).
Drone footage captured the frigid scene in Yakutsk, one of the world’s coldest cities, situated approximately 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) east of Moscow, shrouded in freezing clouds and fog.
Residents, bundled up in layers of clothing, faced the extreme cold with resilience. Danila, who deliberately traveled to Yakutsk to experience such weather, remarked, “I am lucky, as in December, you don’t usually get it.”
His beard, hat, and scarf were encased in ice, a testament to the severity of the freezing conditions. Proper preparation, including multiple layers of clothes and two pairs of gloves, was crucial to withstand the extreme temperatures.
Bone-chilling Cold in Siberia
In parts of the Sakha Republic, a vast region in northeastern Siberia, temperatures dipped below minus 55 degrees Celsius overnight. Oymyakon, a settlement in Sakha, reported a bone-chilling minus 58 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, which, factoring in humidity and wind, felt like an astonishing minus 63 degrees Celsius.
At the Yakutsk market, frozen fish were sold without the need for freezers, packed in dozens of boxes. Saleswomen, adorned in large fur hats, navigated the cold to provide essentials to residents. One local resident, Pyotr, noted the importance of quality clothing and staying active to ensure proper blood circulation.
The extreme cold not only posed challenges to residents but also affected electronic devices, with one individual mentioning that the low temperatures caused his coat to stiffen, and his phone to lose charge within minutes.
