ST. PETERSBURG, July 21. /TASS/. The calendar summer is beyond its middle, but the weather in Russia's most regions continues offering surprises: anomalous heatwave in the polar regions, and pouring rains in the central European part and in the Far East - the thunderstorms there are causing major emergencies.
Far East: floods and roads deep under the water
The stormy rains continue in the Far East for a few days already. Most intensive storms were at night to July 21, when they caused high-water of 0.2-1.8 meters at most rivers.
The rainfalls flooded the roads. A village, Krounovka, 100 km from Vladivostok was cut off the mainland as the water ruined the bridge and 700 people got in a transport isolation. The local authorities say now only emergencies ministry's rescuers can get there by boats. The stock of food and feed in the village may be sufficient for at least five days. The local authorities provided well in advance all necessary medicines for the local clinic.
In Ussuriisk, the water flooded at least 16 houses, three of them are condominiums. The local hotline has received more than a thousand calls. Most often people complain about flooded houses and gardens.
Many towns and villages in the Far East still do not have electricity, and the forecasts promise water will continue covering the roads and fields. The situation in the region remains most tense. The forecasts are the Borisovka and Kazachka Rivers will have high-water, which will fill the low areas, cover fields and may flood the Putsilovka village, where 500 people live.
Heavy rains continue on Sakhalin. Kamchatka meets the rainfalls after July 22.
Pouring rains at southern resorts
All Russian southern resorts are also in pouring rains. In the Black Sea's Anapa as many as three month's norm of precipitation was registered the night to July 20. Some streets were flooded, the stormy wind lay down the beach umbrellas, and water flows destroyed sidewalks.
The local authorities reported 94mm precipitation within a few hours. The peak was registered between 10 and 11 at night, when within only one hour the level of precipitation hit 44mm - a regular norm for one and a half month.
All the maintenance services, as well as personnel of local cafes and resorts were fighting the calamity. "We shall do everything to make sure - in the morning, when our guests come to the beaches, they do not feel any inconveniences from this natural calamity," the city's head Sergei Sergeyev said.
On Friday, the local government reported to TASS the embankment was restored.
Floods and landslides
By Thursday night, the storm arrived in Novorossiisk, where the rain drainage systems could not cope with the flows, and jams developed at all roads leading into the city. The police regulated the traffic and helped drivers out of stuck cars. The municipal emergency services were at the alert.
"We monitor the situation and make announcements to the residents," Novorossiisk's authorities said. "All emergency services are on alert, they control all social and resource facilities."
The road services reported a landslide of about 1.5 cubic meters which blocked the Dzhugba-Sochi road. The maintenance services worked hard to clear the road quite promptly.
The weather forecasts for the Kuban region are not comforting, though the last night there was rather quiet. Anyway, on July 21 there are stormy rains with thunders, hail and wind of up to 20-25mps.
Arctic heatwave
The forecast for the Arctic regions for the near future is the heat will remain there for some time. "In Norilsk we expect 32 degrees, in center of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District - 30 degrees, in the Polar Urals - 30 degrees," the Fobos center said. "This weather will stay for some time, about ten degrees above the normal level."
The heatwave is registered also in the Arkhangelsk region and in the Komi Republic.
The cyclone and weather fronts are crossing the European part of Russia, thus pouring rains with thunderstorms there will continue. The heavy rains will also remain in the Far East, covered by cyclonic swirls.