Record-breaking snowfall blankets Moscow

MOSCOW: Heavy snowfall descended on the Russian capital on Sunday, disrupting traffic, delaying flights and leaving pavements buried with snow.

In parts of Moscow, snow piled into mounds over 30 centimetres (12 inches) high, something not usually observed until the end of winter in February, the Fobos weather centre said.

The last time a similar depth of snow was recorded in Moscow in mid-December was in 1989 and in 1993, Fobos added.

Close to 119,000 people and over 12,500 vehicles were deployed to clear the snow, according to Moscow city authorities, with snowfall forecast to continue until the evening.

“It’s a snow Armageddon: in Moscow there is such a storm that you can’t walk or drive,” state-controlled Channel One said in a report.

Pavements in some parts of the capital were left completely covered in snow with snow-clearing equipment prioritising roads to ease the heavily congested traffic.

Air traffic was also affected with over 50 flights either delayed or cancelled at Moscow airports.