Monday has become the hottest May 28th in the 120-year history of temperature record-keeping in Moscow, the city's meteorological service said.

With thermometers near bursting at 32.2 degrees Celsius (89.7 degrees Fahrenheit) and the record shattered by about 2:00 p.m. Moscow time (10:00 a.m. GMT), the service said that temperatures will continue to rise and will reach at least 34 degrees Celsius (91.4 degrees Fahrenheit) by late afternoon.

Unseasonably hot May weather has already seen last year's energy consumption for this time of year surpassed by about 8% in Moscow and 12% in St. Petersburg, a spokeswoman for the UES electricity monopoly said.

The meteorological center said that scorching heat will persist over the next few days, and that several more records may well be broken.