Record heavy snowfall in the Russian capital Moscow over the past few days has disrupted public transportation and severely disrupted flight operations.
In one day, 13 days local time, 17.6mm of snow fell in Moscow.
This is the highest record in daily snowfall since weather observations began in Russia in 1879, said Roman Billfand, director of the National Meteorological Research Center under the local meteorological agency.
The previous day’s maximum snowfall record was 13.6mm, set in 2019.
In addition, the height of snow cover in Moscow was ranked second in history, with 1 cm short of the record.
“The highest snowfall height ever recorded at the observation station was 60cm, but this morning it was 59cm,” said Director Billpand.
On the 12th, 13mm snow fell in Moscow, breaking the 7.3mm record set in 1973.
Heavy snowfall spanning 12 to 13 days is among the top three records in the last 50 years in February, according to local experts.
A record heavy snowfall has resulted in the worst traffic jams in the city.
On the evening of the 12th, the traffic congestion index divided into 10 stages reached a maximum of 10, making it almost paralyzed, and the index remained between 8 and 9 the next day.
Departures and cancellations of flights were followed at major airports.
During the 13th day alone, more than 140 flights were delayed and more than 20 were cancelled.
Moscow city authorities have mobilized more than 70,000 people and 14,000 snow removal vehicles to clear the snow, but they say it will take five days to clear all the snow.
Local weather authorities have predicted that snow in the Moscow region will continue through the evening of the 14th.
(Photo = TASS, Yonhap News)