Moscow, a city accustomed to capricious weather, is about to be ambushed by summer’s full fury. Like an uninvited guest barging in early, thermometers are predicted to hit a sizzling 30°C by the end of May—an abrupt departure from the recent drizzle and stubborn chill clinging to Central Russia.
According to meteorologists, this year’s climatic and meteorological summers will lockstep into place around May 26, a date etched into Moscow’s weather lore after three decades of observations. "It’s rare for both definitions of summer to align like synchronized swimmers," remarked one expert, noting the usual tussle between calendar dates and actual heat.
The coming days, however, will dangle between extremes. Nights hover at a modest 5-10°C, while daytime temperatures flirt with 16-19°C—accompanied by rain showers that scatter like nervous applause. But by month’s end, the script flips: a sudden surge to +23°C by Friday, then a leap into the 30s, as if the atmosphere has grown impatient with its own hesitation.
Elsewhere, the world seems equally off-kilter:
Closer to home, a darker footnote: a fallen soldier’s posthumous divorce case sparks outrage, prompting calls for legal reforms. Meanwhile, taxi drivers in Chita scoff at switching to Russian-made cars ("Not worth the hassle"), and Yakut hunters face staggering bills for rescue helicopters—a stark reminder of nature’s indifference to bureaucracy.
As Moscow braces for its thermal shock, one truth lingers: weather, like fate, delights in defying predictions. Pack an umbrella, but keep the sunscreen handy.
