Yakutia, also known as the Sakha Republic, one of Siberia's most notoriously cold regions, has once again been gripped by extreme cold.
According to Russian local media on Saturday, temperatures in the region plummeted to minus 56 degrees Celsius (minus 69 degrees Fahrenheit). Severe blizzards and bitter cold persisting for more than three days have caused temperatures across Yakutia to drop sharply. The cold snap has forced all schools in the region to close, with kindergartens also shutting their doors.
Weather experts warn this cold spell may not be a temporary phenomenon. Forecasts suggest temperatures could fall further to minus 60 degrees Celsius as the severe cold continues.
Yakutia is considered one of the coldest inhabited places on Earth. In this region, schools only close when temperatures fall below minus 56 degrees Celsius. Students routinely attend classes even when temperatures hover around minus 50 degrees.
At minus 56 degrees, the body reacts before the mind can process the numbers. The moment one exhales on the streets of Yakutia, breath freezes instantly, settling as white frost on eyelashes and eyebrows. After just a few minutes outside, eyelashes stick together, making it difficult to keep eyes open.
Ice crystals form around the mouth with every word spoken. Even briefly pulling out a mobile phone with gloved hands sends a freezing pain shooting through the fingertips.
Yakutia's all-time record low temperature was minus 67.6 degrees Celsius, recorded in 1993. This remains one of the lowest temperatures ever measured in an inhabited area on Earth.
In January 2023, temperatures in the region dropped to minus 62.7 degrees Celsius, the coldest recorded anywhere in Russia since February 2002.
