MOSCOW, January 26. /TASS/. With a blizzard forecast, Moscow has raised its weather alert from yellow to orange, the second-highest on the scale, Russia’s Hydrometeorological Center told TASS.

"Continuous heavy to very heavy snowfall is forecast from January 27 to 29, with icy conditions and snow drifts on roads. A blizzard is expected in some places on the night of January 27, the danger level is orange," the source told TASS. He recalled that under the color-coded weather alert system, this level signifies dangerous meteorological conditions with a risk of natural disasters and damage.

Earlier, a yellow danger level had been declared in the Russian capital due to the expected snowfall, indicating potentially dangerous weather. The yellow alert remains in effect in the Moscow Region from midnight local time on January 27, until 12:00 p.m. on January 29 (from 9:00 p.m. GMT on January 26 until 9:00 a.m. January 29). Russia’s Hydrometeorological Center also told TASS that up to 15 centimeters of snow could fall in the capital overnight, and that the snowfall may last for up to two and a half days.