As the pictures show, Verkhoyansk was hit by summer snow, which is not unknown but hardly common.
As the pictures show, Verkhoyansk was hit by summer snow, which is not unknown but hardly common.
Topsy-turvy summer swings from Saudi-heat to freezer in Arctic north of Russia's largest region of Yakutia.

Abnormally cold weather has been recorded in the north of Yakutia with residents of Verkhoyansk district waking up to fresh snow on 5 July.

Just days before that, locals were complaining about the hot and dry beginning of July, with air temperature heating up to +27C on 1 July, and wildfires raging.


Earlier, on 17 June this district saw a world record for the Arctic of 38C.

Wildfires started in several areas of the remote district which is known worldwide for the coldest inhabited town on earth, Verkhoyansk, an honour that another Yakutian settlement Oymyakon also claims.

Verkhoyansk also holds the record for the greatest temperature range on Earth, from -67.8C in winter and - since this June - to the new record of 38C in summer.

Verkhoyansk district has certainly lived up to its reputation.

Three days after the 27C reading, the temperature sank to 12C, then 8C, and then below zero.

As the pictures show, Verkhoyansk was hit by summer snow, which is not unknown but hardly common.

snow

Abnormally cold weather has been recorded in the north of Yakutia with residents of Verkhoyansk district waking up to fresh snow on 5 July.
Abnormally cold weather has been recorded in the north of Yakutia with residents of Verkhoyansk district waking up to fresh snow on 5 July.
The snowflakes was best seen in Batagai, in the same district.

A group of friends shared a video of themselves warmly dressed as they stood around the fire.

'Where is our plus 38C?', they captioned the short video.


On another video, a resident from the village of Batagai - which was suffocating from wildfire smoke - was happy the air felt fresh after the snow.


And the forecast? Back to 30C by the weekend.