Temperature hits 38 degrees in Arctic town
A Siberian town with the world's widest temperature range has recorded a new high amid a heatwave that is contributing to severe forest fires.
The temperature in Verkhoyansk hit 38 degrees Celsius on Saturday, according to Pogoda i Klimat, a website that compiles Russian meteorological data.
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The town is located above the Arctic Circle in the Sakha Republic, about 4660 kilometres north-east of Moscow and is one of the coldest places in the world in winter.
The town of about 1300 residents is recognised by the Guinness World Records for the most extreme temperature range, with a low of minus-68 degrees Celsius and a previous high of 37.2 C.
In this handout photo provided by Olga Burtseva, children play in the Krugloe lake outside Verkhoyansk, the Sakha Republic, about 4660 kilometers (2900 miles) northeast of Moscow, Russia, Sunday, June 21, 2020. AP/AAP
Records in the town have been kept since 1885.
On Sunday, the same location recorded a high temperature of 35.2 degrees Celsius, showing the Saturday reading was not a fluke.
Russia's meteorological service said the thermometer hit 38 Celsius (100.4 F) on Saturday in Verkhoyansk, in the Sakha Republic about 4660 kilometers (2900 miles) northeast of Moscow. (Olga Burtseva via AP) AP
Much of Siberia this year has had unseasonably high temperatures, leading to sizable wildfires.
In the Sakha Republic, more than 275,000 hectares are burning, according to Avialesokhrana, the government agency that monitors forest fires.
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