It has been the warmest autumn for more than 100 years in the Moscow region. While meteorologists worry that it's further evidence of global warming, the natives aren't complaining.

They say people talk about the weather when they run out of interesting topics – but this year’s extraordinary weather has been a very interesting topic. November has broken all records – so far.

“This November has seen the highest temperature in the past 120 years,” the Head of Moscow Weather Service Aleksey Lyakhov said. “It's peculiar that the lowest temperatures were recorded a century ago whereas now it's the time for the highest temperatures. In other words, it's been getting warmer and global warming is manifesting itself in Moscow region as well”.

Natalia Istratova has worked at the Moscow Zoo since the late 1970s. She says even a one-degree weather change could affect animals in the wild, but in the zoo the warm conditions are a good thing:
 
“Our animals are well. Gentle weather is much better and comfortable for them than frost.  We're also getting more visitors to the zoo which is unusual for November. With the first snow people normally forget the way to the zoo”.

Nikolay Mikhaylov lives outside the city during summer time. But this year he's stayed in his dacha in the Moscow region a bit longer. The 78-year old pensioner says he doesn't remember an autumn this mild.

“I remember when I was a child how my parents and I went to a parade on November 7, the day of the great October socialist revolution. We were dressed warmly in case it snowed. Yeah, it was cold,” he recalls.

Galina Aprelenko's lives next door to Nikolay Mikhaylov in the country. Usually by November her entire family has moved back to their Moscow apartment, but this year they’re staying put.

“I love it, this weather! We can still take tea and coffee outside the house! It's like a summer which never ends! A gift of weather,” she says.

The neighbours take advantage of the warm weather to cook barbecues together. Both Nikolay and Galina think global warming in their case is helping keep their relations warmer.