Russia to Get Relief from Deadly Heat, Smog
Aug 17, 2010; 2:27 AM ET
A local resident, one of the volunteers enlisted to help firefighters, battles a forest fire near the village of Velino, some 140 km (87 miles) east of Moscow, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2010. Russia has been battling the fires for nearly three weeks. The fires have destroyed provincial towns and villages and, together with the drought, has cost Russia a third of its wheat crop. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)
The deadly spell of heat and smog will finally come to an end this week across western Russia.
A large storm system currently spinning over central Europe will gradually slide eastward by midweek. The cold front associated with this system is expected to push through Moscow on Thursday.
This storm will cause the record heat to retreat to the east, while much cooler, more seasonable air settles western Russia. High temperatures will drop from near 90 degrees on Wednesday to around 70 degrees on Thursday, and the cool, seasonable temperatures are expected to last for at least several days.
This relief from the heat will be welcome news to people across the region. The Associated Press has reported that deaths have doubled to 700 people a day, many of which are believed to be related to the smog that has enveloped the region from hundreds of wildfires fueled by the heat and extreme drought.
Since June 1, Moscow has recorded only 51 percent of their normal rainfall.
Fire and drought have also caused Russian officials to ban the export of wheat grains after reports that nearly a third of the crops were damaged or destroyed.
July was the warmest month on record in Moscow as the city recorded an average temperature of 77.8, an astounding 15 degrees above normal. August has followed suit, with temperatures running 17.9 degrees F above normal so far.
On July 29, the mercury in Moscow exceeded the 100-degree mark for the first time in 130 years of records.
AccuWeather.com Staff Writer Gina Cherundolo contributed to the content of this story.
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