Rain in St. Petersburg, record heat in Moscow: how to survive the heat

The coming week will bring a sharp warming to Moscow and the Moscow region, the approach of which is already felt. On Monday night at VDNKh the temperature did not fall below +17.7 degrees, which is a record for this summer. Let us recall that the day before at midday in the capital it was only +19 °C.

“In the next 24 hours, the air temperature in the capital region will be 4-5 degrees higher than normal, to the delight of gardeners!” said Tatyana Pozdnyakova, chief specialist of the Meteonovosti news agency.

According to the forecast of the leading specialist of the weather center "Phobos" Evgeny Tishkovets , Moscow is expected to have variable cloudiness, no precipitation, but short-term rains are possible in the region. On July 7, Moscow set a daily record of +28.1 degrees, but this is still not the warmest day of the year. The rise in temperature is associated with the arrival of the warm sector of a distant Atlantic cyclone. From the south, it is supported by the Azores anticyclone, which will enter the expanses of Central Russia within a week, which will lead to extreme temperatures.

Already on Tuesday, the temperature will exceed +30 degrees for the first time, although the aerosynoptic situation will not change. During the day, +29… +32 degrees are expected. Thunderstorms are possible in the evening, and in the Moscow region, there may be volley showers with large hail up to 6 mm in diameter.

Tishkovets warned that on Wednesday, thunderstorms may occur in the zone of influence of the atmospheric front from the north, especially at night — up to 7 liters per square meter will fall. Intensive precipitation will not bring down the heat — up to +21 degrees is expected at night, and up to +30… +33 during the day. Thus, the temperature background will approach the 122-year record of +33.5 °C.

"Thursday and Friday will be the hottest. On the periphery of the anticyclone, the weather will be sunny and dry. Nights are expected to be "Yalta-like", +19 ... +22, and in the middle of the day, thermometers will show +32 ... +35, which is 10-12 degrees higher than the norm for mid-summer and is more like the hot, dry, sharply continental climate of the Astrakhan and Kalmyk deserts," Tishkovets said.

According to his forecast, the temperature record of 1996 could be broken on July 10.

Leading specialist of the Phobos weather center Mikhail Leus specifies that the peak of the heat will be on Thursday, when the air will heat up to +34 degrees. On Friday, he expects up to +33 °C. Head of the Meteo forecasting center Alexander Shuvalov, in an interview with RT , called the most likely temperature +30… +32 degrees at the peak.

The heat will begin to subside on the weekend, but bad weather will come with it. Short-term rains and thunderstorms are expected on Saturday at temperatures of +29… +32 degrees. Due to the arrival of a cold atmospheric front and a change in air masses, the thermometers will drop to +25… +28 on Sunday. On the last day of the week, showers, thunderstorms, hail, and squally winds will come to the capital region.

"In conditions of high atmospheric pressure, 30-degree heat will plague residents of the capital for at least a week. And the records of maximum air temperature this week are unlikely to stand," Pozdnyakova believes

Tishkovets clarified that by mid-July the temperature will return to the climatic norm.

While Central Russia will be languishing from the tropical heat, unstable weather is expected in St. Petersburg. The chief weather forecaster of the Northern capital, Alexander Kolesov , said that short-term rains will fall on the first two days of the work week. On Monday, the air will warm up to +21… +23 degrees, on Tuesday — above +20. Leus added that local thunderstorms are also possible in the first half of the week. The Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia in St. Petersburg warned of worsening weather conditions: rain, thunderstorms, and wind gusts up to 18 m/s are expected on Tuesday.

"Wednesday is a good day in our region, on Thursday there will be short-term rains again. But it is constantly warm, with the maximum temperature in St. Petersburg up to +20 degrees and a little higher," Kolesov said .

The culprit of the new wave of bad weather will be another cyclone, which this time is approaching from the south. On Friday, its center will be located over the Baltics, continuing to deliver short-term rains to the Leningrad Region. Temperature - +19 ... +21 degrees.

The weather will not change on the weekend either, Leus believes. The same unstable weather is expected in St. Petersburg and the region, with short-term rains and a return to +21… +23 degrees.

Kolesov, however, has a more optimistic view of the situation. He noted that a restructuring of atmospheric processes is expected by the weekend, which could lead to the establishment of an anticyclone over the Leningrad Region. The weather forecaster added that in this case, a significant increase in temperature can be expected next week - up to +23 ... +28 degrees, and even higher on some days. At the same time, in his opinion, short-term rains, especially at the beginning of this period, cannot be avoided.

"But there are few of them, and these will be pleasant summer rains, not protracted ones on atmospheric fronts. The main thing is for the anticyclone to establish itself," he reassured.

Forecaster Tishkovets said on the air of the Russia 24 TV channel that due to the wind turning to the southern rhumbs, heat will come to the European part of Russia. This is due to the arrival of warm air masses from the Mediterranean. The peak of the heat will be on Thursday-Friday, when the Azores anticyclone will rule over the expanses of the middle zone and southern regions, and its influence will intensify the heat of the Kalmyk steppes.

“The forecast map for Thursday looks completely surreal, especially if you remember how summer began,” Tishkovets noted.

The 30-degree heat will reach far to the north, right up to the Pskov, Novgorod and Vologda regions, and the rest of the southern part of the Central Federal District will fall into the zone of extreme overheating with temperatures from +35 degrees. In Kalmykia, Astrakhan, Rostov regions and in the south of the Volgograd region, +40 °C is expected. It is worth noting that in some places the thermometers may show even more.

Scientific Director of the Russian Hydrometeorological Center Roman Vilfand told AiF that hot air masses are approaching Russia from Saudi Arabia and Africa. Such heat poses a danger to people.

"The solar energy will be very high these days. This weather is dangerous. Especially in Moscow. It is better to wait out such an anomaly in the Moscow region. The heat coming from the buildings will not allow you to rest from the heat at night. An orange danger level is predicted. There is a risk for many categories of people," the weather forecaster warned.

Abnormal heat is not well tolerated by children and the elderly, overweight people, and people with chronic cardiovascular diseases. The risk of heart attacks and strokes increases. Even healthy people are advised to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and physical activity. It is extremely important to drink more water. The hot period is best endured near bodies of water.

But even here, caution is required. Dermatologist, cosmetologist, co-owner of the network of clinics of Dr. Omarov Zarema reminds that swimming in stagnant water in summer - pools, lakes in general - can be associated with various risks. Viruses survive in water for a very long time, especially in conditions of high humidity and moderate temperature.

In summer, when swimming en masse in warm stagnant water, there is a risk of contracting enteroviruses, parasitic skin diseases, intestinal infections, etc.

“To avoid infection, it is recommended to choose permitted places for swimming in open water, try not to swallow water, observe personal hygiene rules, drink only clean bottled drinking water, and not wash vegetables, fruits, and dishes with water from the reservoir.

When on holiday, it is better to have hand sanitizers and wet wipes with you.

“Do not enter the water if you have abrasions or wounds – damaged skin makes it easier for viruses and bacteria to enter the body,” advises dermatologist and cosmetologist Dr. Zarema Omarova.

Olga Shuppo , founder and scientific director of the network of clinics for immune rehabilitation, adaptive and preventive medicine Grand Clinic, also warns those who have heard about the Coxsackie virus and are afraid of infection that this is a large group of enteroviruses, all of which are pathogenic for humans. The target of these viruses is the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, muscles, mucous membranes, skin.

"The main source of enterovirus infection is water, in which viruses can survive for a very long time. The most common way of infection is swimming in stagnant water - pools, lakes.

Adults are mostly adapted to enteroviruses, one way or another people encounter them in childhood. Those who have weakened adaptation mechanisms, as well as children, are most often ill.

In most cases, enterovirus infections are asymptomatic or mild, resembling a cold or gastrointestinal disorder.

Local outbreaks of enterovirus infections occur annually in resort areas in the summer. Global outbreaks should not be expected, the adult population generally has a protective level of antibodies," says Olga Shuppo.

On July 6 and 7, weak magnetic storms of level G1 were observed. Solar activity researchers note a slight increase in the speed and temperature of the solar wind. Flare activity is at a low level.

Despite the favorable forecast, which is relevant at the moment, not everything is as smooth as we would like. Several significant events have occurred recently. Since the end of June, a series of emissions of giant prominences have been noted, the sizes of which exceed 1 million km. All this with the Sun in a calm state. To understand: their sizes at the final stage are comparable to the sizes of our star or 80 Earths, and they are getting bigger.

At least six prominence breakaways have been detected in the past week. And none of them hit Earth. On Monday morning, another such giant broke away from the Sun. This time, it is moving towards our planet. According to preliminary calculations, this is the largest emission in 2025.

"This time, the emission occurred exactly opposite the Earth on the visible side of the Sun. And, although in the video it seems as if the plasma is flying upward, this is a premature conclusion. The prominence definitely has components of velocity towards the Earth (towards the observer). In the video, they are difficult to distinguish, just as it is sometimes difficult to determine with the eye the speed of a car moving towards you, still far away. In addition, even with the initial upward movement, part of the plasma may later descend into the plane of the planets," the Solar Astronomy Laboratory (IKI RAS and ISTP SB RAS) reported .

In addition to its size, the prominence is unusual in the way it moves. It forms something like a twisted rope, and the force of the vortex movements is so high that it can tear the plasma filament apart. Such prominences can be observed several times a year, most often at the peak of the solar cycle.

Fortunately, coronagraphs showed no Earth-bound components of the ejecta. Scientists assumed that the bulk of the material was unable to escape from the Sun.

It is worth noting that in the last two years, the solar behavior has demonstrated a strange paradox. Thus, in 2024, our star repeatedly presented surprises: from unexpected flares to magnetic storms whose strength exceeded forecasts. The emissions of that time were not only directed at Earth, but also had an unfavorable magnetic orientation, which made them especially dangerous for satellites and radio communications.

In 2025, despite the formal peak of solar activity, the situation looks calmer: solar flares become more frequent and powerful, but the most threatening emissions bypass the Earth or do not resonate with its magnetosphere. Researchers have repeatedly noted that this is pure luck. If prominence emissions continue, then even luck will sooner or later not be able to protect our planet from serious magnetic storms.

Let us recall that the strongest magnetic storm in 2025 was observed on June 2 and reached the penultimate level - G4. The strength of geomagnetic fluctuations became known after the impact.