This Siberian city is frequently below freezing (Image: Getty)
Deep in Siberian region is a city that frequently shivers under permafrost – but in the summer, this city gets hotter than London.
Yakutsk in Siberia, is one of the coldest places in the world, with a record low temperature of -64C recorded on 5 February 5 1891. During January, the average low temperature is -42C with the city getting less than four hours of sunlight per day.
Despite these harsh conditions Yakutsk is home to 355,000 people, just less than New Orleans in the US.
This city is thought to be so cold for a number of reasons – one of these is its inland location.
It is about 725km away from the Sea of Okhotsk, and although Yakutsk is built on the river Lea,the river valley actually traps cold air.
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As the city is built on permafrost, the ground is always frozen which causes temperatures to drop and the city gets very little sun with an average of just four hours a day in the winter months.
The city is also shrouded in “ice fog” during winter, which occurs when “air is so cold that hot air from houses, people and cars cannot rise,” according to the North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk.
Despite this, in the summer months this Siberian city can get hotter than London with an average high temperature of 26C in July. By comparison London only reaches 24C.
In winter, life in Yakutsk can be unforgiving. One woman who has grown up in the city documents her daily life on , showing just how prepared you need to be to live in these conditions.
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View over Yakutsk (Image: Getty)
Kiun B shows her daily routine to leave her home which involves putting on layers and layers of clothing. She starts with thermals, then camel wool kneepads and socks to protect her joints and feet, insulated padded trousers, two padded jackets, a scarf, hat, and traditional mittens and boots that ensure her extremities don’t freeze.
She says that all this means, “sometimes, even a quick trip to the grocery store feels like a huge effort”.
She says it is easier to drive around the city but even driving presents unique challenges. During winter, people are forced to leave cars running all the time in a heated garage so that the oil and battery don’t freeze over.
Cars are also fitted with double-layered windshields to insulate them and stop them freezing while you drive.