Deep freeze across Russia dips to 50 below, at least 45 die
NBC News
Americans feeling their first wintry blast of the season on Wednesday could take some comfort from this: In Moscow it felt like 10 below – part of a week-long cold spell across Russia that has parts of Siberia feeling like 50 below.
Across Russia, the deep freeze killed at least 45 people over the last week, 21 on Tuesday alone, the English-language Moscow Times reported Wednesday. Nearly 270 people were hospitalized, more than half with frostbite.
Russia's emergency ministry urged everyone in Moscow to stay indoors on Wednesday, while forecasters said the cold could get worse over the weekend.
Siberia has been hardest hit, with cities like Novosibirsk dipping to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday. With the wind chill, it felt like minus 47.
The temperatures have been abnormally low for Russia at this time of year.
Last week, the cold in Siberia nearly killed two circus elephants after their trailer caught fire, the RIA news agency reported.
A handler quickly devised a plan, buying two cases of vodka from a nearby village and serving it to the elephants -- albeit diluted with warm water.
"After that they roared as if they were in the jungle. Apparently they were happy," the unnamed handler was quoted as saying.
Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/19/16022433-deep-freeze-across-russia-dips-to-50-below-at-least-45-die?lite=
NBC News
Americans feeling their first wintry blast of the season on Wednesday could take some comfort from this: In Moscow it felt like 10 below – part of a week-long cold spell across Russia that has parts of Siberia feeling like 50 below.
Across Russia, the deep freeze killed at least 45 people over the last week, 21 on Tuesday alone, the English-language Moscow Times reported Wednesday. Nearly 270 people were hospitalized, more than half with frostbite.
Russia's emergency ministry urged everyone in Moscow to stay indoors on Wednesday, while forecasters said the cold could get worse over the weekend.
Siberia has been hardest hit, with cities like Novosibirsk dipping to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday. With the wind chill, it felt like minus 47.
The temperatures have been abnormally low for Russia at this time of year.
Last week, the cold in Siberia nearly killed two circus elephants after their trailer caught fire, the RIA news agency reported.
A handler quickly devised a plan, buying two cases of vodka from a nearby village and serving it to the elephants -- albeit diluted with warm water.
"After that they roared as if they were in the jungle. Apparently they were happy," the unnamed handler was quoted as saying.
Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/19/16022433-deep-freeze-across-russia-dips-to-50-below-at-least-45-die?lite=