Russian winters are considered among the world’s coldest – but that image could be fading on a weekend which saw another seasonal record temperature in the country’s capital. The traditional icy chill has been replaced by a comfortable heat, as

It breaks the previous record of 9.2 Celsius set just two years ago. Despite that, meteorologists say it can get even warmer. Temperatures may go beyond 10 degrees – a whole 10 degrees above the norm.

Older Muscovites, who have suffered more bitter winters, will be amazed at the turnaround. The coldest December in the history of the city’s meteorological observation was in 1959, with Moscow shivering at a freezing minus 31 Celsius.