Moscow Records Highest Winter Temperatures in December

A bulldozer shovels snow in front of St Basil's Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow | Vasily Maximov/AFP
A bulldozer shovels snow in front of St Basil's Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow | Vasily Maximov/AFP
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Moscow Records Highest Winter Temperatures in December

A bulldozer shovels snow in front of St Basil's Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow | Vasily Maximov/AFP
A bulldozer shovels snow in front of St Basil's Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow | Vasily Maximov/AFP

Unfamiliar weather conditions dominating Moscow have persisted in December. Usually, the snow covers the Russian capital from the beginning of November until the end of April.

Nevertheless, this year, the autumn months passed, and December, the first month of the winter is about to end, and Moscow is still missing its long-awaited snow. Instead of the Siberian freezing winter it used to host, the city has been dominated by a wave of warmth similar to those seen in April.

Last week, the Russian Meteorological Center announced that temperatures have hit record levels during this period of the year. However, it projected the weather to go back to its normal state, and the temperatures to drop below 0 °C, along with snowfalls by the end of the third week of December. However, the third week ended, and the fourth started, but it seems that December is getting warmer.

In the latest forecasts in Moscow, Director of the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia Roman Wilfand said temperatures on December 23 and 24 will be exceptionally warm, and higher by around 12-13 degrees from the average temperatures previously recorded during this time of the year. He expected the temperatures to hit 8 degrees.

Wilfand said these conditions dominate all the European parts of Russia, describing the temperatures as "supernatural" and closer to those recorded during the first week of April, when the average daytime temperature is 5°C to 6 °C.

The reason behind these unfamiliar recurrent changes affecting all seasons accompanied by natural disasters in many regions around the world over the past years is the climate shift caused by the climate change phenomenon.



China Says Premier Li to Visit Brazil for BRICS Summit, Egypt

China's newly-elected Premier Li Qiang takes an oath after being elected during the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on March 11, 2023. GREG BAKER/Pool via REUTERS
China's newly-elected Premier Li Qiang takes an oath after being elected during the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on March 11, 2023. GREG BAKER/Pool via REUTERS
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China Says Premier Li to Visit Brazil for BRICS Summit, Egypt

China's newly-elected Premier Li Qiang takes an oath after being elected during the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on March 11, 2023. GREG BAKER/Pool via REUTERS
China's newly-elected Premier Li Qiang takes an oath after being elected during the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on March 11, 2023. GREG BAKER/Pool via REUTERS

Chinese Premier Li Qiang will visit Brazil for a meeting of BRICS countries and then Egypt next week, Beijing's foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

"Li Qiang will attend the 17th BRICS Summit upon invitation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 5 to 8," a foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

Beijing and Moscow have hailed the BRICS club as a counterweight to what they see as Western hegemony on the world stage, according to AFP.

A loose grouping of countries named after founding members Brazil, Russia, India and China, its members pledge to boost trade and cooperation, though it is not a trade pact and has few institutional ties.

"The BRICS cooperation mechanism is one of the most important platforms for solidarity and cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries in today's world," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

"It is a vital force in promoting a more equal and orderly multipolar world and an inclusive and beneficial economic globalisation," she added.

The Kremlin said last week, however, that President Vladimir Putin would not travel to Brazil for the upcoming summit due to the outstanding International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant on the Russian president.

Following his visit to Brazil, Li will then "pay an official visit to Egypt from July 9 to 10", Beijing said.

"During the visit, Premier Li Qiang will have in-depth exchanges of views with Egyptian leaders on the development of China-Egypt relations, the deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation, and issues of common concern," Mao said.