8 cm of snowfall paralyze Moscow following highest temperatures recorded
Edited time: December 09, 2009 06:44
Sudden snowfall stopped Moscow traffic on Monday afternoon with average speeds around the city not exceeding 10 km per hour.
Moscow’s weather forecasters have been given a major dressing down by the mayor’s office for failing to predict the heavy snow which caused gridlock on the city’s roads.
An incorrect weather report meant traffic police did not manage to spread the chemicals needed to melt the snow soon enough.
That, in turn, led to almost 3,000 minor car crashes, and traffic jams stretching in total to an astonishing 900 kilometers. 8,500 vehicles were dispatched to remove the snow from the streets.
The congestion is unlikely to get any better over the next couple of weeks either, as people from the surrounding areas flock to the city center for shopping and winter celebrations.
This comes days after Moscow set consecutive temperature records with abnormal November and December highs.
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