The city of Jakutsk in Siberia is currently breaking cold records: After exceeding the -50°C mark a few days ago, the thermometer there now shows … -62.7°C. An extreme cold the city hadn’t known in twenty years. January is always the coldest month of the year in Lakutsk, but the average temperature rarely drops below -40°C even at this time. Current temperatures are therefore unusual, but coincide with a cold snap affecting large parts of Siberia.
The people of Yakutsk are used to harsh winters, but this one is brutal even for them. Such cold can be dangerous, especially because of the risk of frostbite. The entire city is currently shrouded in an “icy fog,” according to the North-Eastern Federal University of Yakutsk, whose comments are reported by CNN.
This happens when “the air is so cold that warm air from homes, people, and cars can’t rise,” the facility explains.
If new students are not advised to “take to the streets in winter when the temperature is below -40°C”, the other residents are obliged to carry on living as normally as possible.