More weird weather hits Siberia: tornadoes, floods, now snow

Recently we showed two tornadoes on the same day in different regions of Siberia. Such a phenomenon is rare here, but so too are other examples of extreme weather this summer. 

For example, there is a stereotype that it is always cold in Siberia but in fact summers are hot, depending on the region. 

Snow is rare indeed in July in the Kobyaisky district of Yakutia, also known as the Sakha Republic, yet it arrived this week. This district is on a similar latitude to Trongheim in Norway or the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik.

The city of Krasnoyarsk was paralysed by a deluge of rain, with floods in the ground floors of apartment blocks and many people late for work. 

Local blogger and journalist Stanislav Kazachenko told newspaper Prospekt Mira: 'When I saw how much water is in the street after the rain, there was a decision exactly how I'm going to get to work. 

'I took my two-seat boat and sailed along Zheleznodorozhnikov Street. Ordinary people helped me, encouraged, advised, how to row.'

The situation aggravated when a lightning hit an electrical substation in the city centre, plunging houses, shops and offices into gloom.

Others used a wakeboard to cross the submerged street. A bus laden with passengers got waterlogged and needed to be rescued by firefighters.

City official Igor Titenkov told: 'Today nature has given us a test that we must endure. We do not relax - pumps are still working in the city.

'All services work in an emergency mode.... it is not disaster, but we are working at full swing.' 

Krasnoyarsk mayor Edkham Akbulatov stated: 'Sadly we do not have enough 'storm drains'. It is a problem for our city and it cannot be solved quickly.'

The freak flooding was all the more surprising since forecasts had warned of slight rain and thunderstorms, but nothing on the scale of the weather that hit Krasnoyarsk. 

Social media reports show locals blame climate change and global warming for the extreme weather.