Russia Heat Wave Set to Worsen, Persist into Next Week
The Russian heartland, already reeling from record heat aggravated by drought, will swelter under extreme heat for at least another seven to 10 days.
Most of western Russia will have average temperatures of 10 F to 20 F above normal through the end of July. Highest temperatures forecast through mid- to late week are 95 F to 100 F with 105 F in hot spots of southern Russia.
Most normal average daily temperatures in this area range from 60 F to 70 F with normal high temperatures mostly between 70 F and 80 F.
The Russian media have already labeled 2010's heat and drought as the worst in 130 years. Agricultural officials have said that grain output will be cut by 20 percent as tens of millions of acres of crops have been damaged or destroyed.
Drowning deaths have soared as people take to the water in droves.
The trigger for the abnormal heat and drought has been persistent high pressure anchored over European Russia together with southwest-to-northeast trending jetstream from the Atlantic coast to the European Arctic. At times, low pressure has dipped over southeastern Europe thereby further bolstering the heating.
Under this overall pattern of steering winds, desert heat has been tapped from North Africa, Arabia and central Asia and fed northward to the heart of Russia.
This weather setting will persist and even intensify during the next few days.
More Weather News
-
Blast of Arctic Air to Follow Eastern Snows
Feb 11, 2012; 12:15 PM ET
A blast of arctic air will plow into the eastern part of the country tonight into Sunday behind a departing cold front.
-
Buffalo Hockey Tournament: From Pond to Parking Lot
Feb 11, 2012; 11:05 AM ET
Event organizers made the call to cancel the on-water aspect of the tournament in late January when an absence of ice and expected continuance of mild weather.
-
Cozy Up to Your Valentine as Arctic Air Plunges into the US
Feb 11, 2012; 11:00 AM ET
We have an exclusive snuggle index for Valentine's Day weekend as arctic air plunges across the eastern two-thirds of the nation.
-
Weekend Blizzard, Wind, Rain for Atlantic Canada
Feb 11, 2012; 10:59 AM ET
The storm set to brush parts of New England into this evening will hit head on into the Maritimes and Newfoundland tonight into Sunday.
-
High Hopes for First Dutch Skating Marathon in 15 Years
Feb 11, 2012; 10:56 AM ET
"If they don't do it this year, who knows when it could happen again."
-
No Explanation for Pennsylvania's Purple Squirrel
Feb 11, 2012; 10:53 AM ET
The third purple squirrel ever found was released back into the forest on Tuesday.
-
Coastal Storm, Snow Squalls Wreaking Havoc in the East
Feb 11, 2012; 10:40 AM ET
Two separate storm systems will continue to cause travel headaches from Portland through Cleveland into tonight.
-
Weekend Snow for Italy, Balkans
Feb 11, 2012; 10:17 AM ET
A winter storm will set up this weekend, bringing even more snow to winter-weary southern and southeastern Europe.
-
Brutal Cold Continuing across Europe
Feb 11, 2012; 10:09 AM ET
A cold spell that has now claimed nearly 500 lives will continue through the weekend for much of Europe before diminishing in the west next week.
-
Peeing Boy Plumbing Problems
Feb 11, 2012; 9:47 AM ET
The Manneken Pis or "peeing boy statue" in Brussels, Belgium, is having a little "going" problem.
Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 86° | Borrego Springs, CA |
| Low | -18° | Flag Island, MN |
| Precip | 1.60" | West Palm Beach, FL |
WeatherWhys®
The "Dead of Winter," the one-month period when normal temperatures reach their lowest levels, has come to an end for much of the United States. Some people may find it odd that the "Dead of Winter" does not encompass the darkest day of the year (the first day of winter). That is due to a seasonal lag in temperatures. More heat continues to be lost than is gained from the start of winter until this time of year.
This Day In Weather History
Washington, D.C. ()
1899 -15 F., all time record low (3rd day in a row at least -7 F.
Richmond, VA ()
1899 (llth-13th) 16.3" of snow, fourth biggest snowfall on record.
Rough Weather
Comments
Comments left here should adhere to the AccuWeather.com Community Guidelines. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.