World's coldest village 'sets record' for high summer temperatures

The village of Oymyakon in Russia's Far East set a record of 32 degrees Celsius on July 3.

Winter in Oymyakon village, Russia. Photo: Sputnik

A new record high temperature has been set in the village of Oymyakon, which is known as the coldest permanently inhabited place on Earth , RT reports. The temperature in the village, located in the remote Yakutia region, or Sakha Republic, reached 32 degrees Celsius (90.6 Fahrenheit) on July 3, surpassing the previous record of 30.5 degrees Celsius (96.5 Fahrenheit) set on the same day in 1949, according to local media. Wildfires have also broken out in the area due to the recent heatwave. On the same day, the head of the Sakha Republic, Aisen Nikolaev, declared a state of emergency after large wildfires broke out over the weekend. Nikolaev noted that Oymyakon was one of the worst-hit places.

Oymyakon is one of the coldest places in the Northern Hemisphere, recording a temperature of minus 67.7 degrees Celsius in 1933. However, an unverified low temperature record was set seven years earlier, at minus 71.2 degrees Celsius.

Despite the harsh weather conditions, Oymyakon has a permanent population of about 500 people.

Climate change poses a particularly serious threat to the Sakha Republic because much of its infrastructure is built on permafrost. Experts warn that thawing could have major economic and social ramifications for the region.

baotintuc.vn