Siberia warned of big freeze
16/01/2008 11:27  - (SA)  

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Moscow - Expected temperatures of as low as minus 55°C in Siberia have prompted weather warnings from Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry on Wednesday.

The ministry warned the unusually cold weather could kill, cause frost-bite, cut electricity to homes, disrupt transport, increase the rate of car accidents and even destroy buildings across Siberia.

In a statement, the ministry ordered regional departments to be on high alert and to contact local administration officials to prepare for the extreme chill expected to last until January 21.

Average temperatures in large Siberian cities in January usually range between -15°C and -39°C, according to data from the US site weatherbase.com.

Two people have already died in the region of Irkutsk in central Siberia, Russian state television reported. More than 30 others have been hospitalised in Irkutsk with frost-bite.

The freezing temperatures have also caused overloading of electricity grids because of heaters being switched on. That caused cut-offs to thousands of homes in the regions of Irkutsk and Tomsk, state media reported.

Schools have been closed down in at least four regions because of the cold.

- AFP

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