Temperatures across large parts of Russia are expected to plummet in the second half of this week. A large area of high pressure will sit over a large portion of the west of the country, introducing arctic air to the region, and keeping temperatures well below the seasonal average.
In Perm and Omsk, daytime temperatures are not forecast to rise above -25C later this week, which is about 20C below the seasonal norm. For the Perm region, this week is expected to be the coldest since 2016.
However, it will be eastern Russia that will have the coldest temperatures, falling as low as -40C, or even close to -50C across parts of Yakutia and Chukotka on Thursday.
Russia’s capital had its third snowiest November this millennium, behind 2012 and 2016. One of the official weather stations in the Moscow area recorded 21cm of snow on 27 November, which does not include any drifting.
Parts of central Europe also had significant snowfall over the weekend. More than 40cm of snow fell on Munich over the course of Friday and Saturday, causing widespread travel disruption. More than 700 flights were grounded, the main train station was closed, and more than 350 road incidents linked to wintry weather were reported by the police. Similar road blockages were seen across Switzerland, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
Meanwhile, over the weekend a tropical depression that was sitting over the Bay of Bengal last week was officially classified as a tropical cyclone by the Indian Meteorological Department. The cyclone, named Michuang, will travel northwards through Monday, and is expected to make landfall in Andhra Pradesh in east India on Tuesday.
Sustained wind speeds of about 55 knots are predicted upon landfall, with gusts of about 70 knots, leading to a substantial risk of infrastructure damage. Rainfall warnings have been issued for Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, with rainfall totals above 150mm predicted along the coast.
Due to the potential dangers, a public holiday has been announced by the Indian government for the Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts.
