Moscow beats 1969 temperature record

MOSCOW. Aug 26 (Interfax) - The outdoor air temperature has climbed to 30.3 degrees Celsius at Moscow's main weather station at VDNKh, beating a 53-year-old record, the Hydrometeorological Research Center of Russia (Hydrometcenter) said on Friday.

The previous record of the last 70 years of Moscow weather monitoring (28.9 degrees Celsius) was set on August 26, 1969.

Weather forecasters are expecting temperatures to reach 31-33 degrees Celsius in certain parts of Moscow on Friday.

The absolute temperature record of the day, 35.3 degrees Celsius, was set on August 26, 1938, the Moscow weather bureau told Interfax.

"This is the all-time high in the 143-year history of weather monitoring in Moscow, which began in 1879. It won't be beaten today," the bureau said.

Interfax reported on Thursday that the outdoor temperature had beaten the 1988 record of 29.3 degrees Celsius in Moscow. The temperature at VDNKh soared as high as 31.3 degrees Celsius on August 25.

Hydrometcenter Academic Director Roman Vilfand told Interfax that the heat wave won't leave the Moscow area until the end of this week. The stationary cyclone, which arrived in Moscow two weeks ago, will weaken on Monday and the weather will start changing on Tuesday. Temperatures will go down, but no heavy precipitation is expected just yet.

The city has declared an elevated (orange) level of weather alert until 2 p.m. on August 28 because of the current heat wave.

A level-5 wildfire alert has been declared in the city as of August 20.