21.01.2006 14:20 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 14:20 MSK, 24 minutes ago


Arctic temperatures gripping most of Russia have pushed the reported death toll close to 40 as weather forecasters warned that no major thaw is expected in Moscow before February, the Associated Press reported.

The true figure, however, is likely higher because many regions have not reported cold deaths.

The arctic temperatures have severely taxed parts of the nation’s infrastructure, with electricity use surging to record levels as towns and cities struggle to keep indoor temperatures up and Russians turning to supplemental heating sources including electric radiators to keep warm.

The cold wave was even affecting Russia’s southern regions which typically see more temperate winter conditions. In the town of Apsheronsk, some 750 miles south of Moscow, three people were killed when a gas canister exploded after it was improperly hooked to the heating system in a private home. And in the Caucasus region of Adeigei, a wood stove fire killed two people who were trying to heat their home.

Overnight temperatures in the region near the Black Sea dropped to 17 degrees below zero.

On Friday, Moscow temperatures were slightly warmer than Thursday, when the mercury hit 24 below, the coldest on that date since 1927. Friday’s low was minus 20 degrees. By Monday, the thermometer was expected to reach four below, Moscow weather service spokeswoman Natalya Yershova said. On Saturday it has stopped on 22 below.

A weather service official, however, told Ekho Moskvy radio that temperatures in the capital were unlikely to rise above that mark before February.

Forecasters said the winter has been Moscow’s coldest in a quarter century.

Tzeitel, How very sad indeed. I think of those other poor souls living in tents in the mountains after the earthquake that rocked India.

Lord, I ask you to help those in Russia and other places that are suffering from these strange weather patterns, not to freeze to death. Help them, Lord, I pray, In Jesus Name, Amen.

One the flip-side, it has been freakishly warm here in the Florida panhandle. Everybody I talk to mentions how "weird" and "Freaky" the weather has been. And, the forecast shos continued warm temps throughout the upcoming week. Guld of Mexico water temps are running 9-10 degrees above normal and a majority of the Gulf is still in the 80's. Theres gonna be plenty of high octane fuel for tropical systems this year.

The weather is very weird indeed here in Michigan. Every year we have that huge snowfall or two and it sticks around for a couple weeks or longer. Not so this year. We have unusually warm weather, and the 2 below average accumulation snow falls we have had have melted in mere days. It's true that the weather here is always changing, but near 50 degree temperatures in January... that's something we havn't seen in a long, long time.