“Elsa” flooded Moscow with rain and turned it into a skating rink

The capital has turned into one big skating rink: the sidewalks are glazed, the roads are slushy. Communal brigades in an emergency mode put the city in order. Only a few hours remained before the temperature began to creep down again.

The weather brought a surprise not only to Muscovites, but also to the municipal services of the city. Contrary to expectations The sudden warming is not snowing, but light rain… As a result, snow porridge formed on the roads with a lot of water. To prevent the streets from flooding, employees of Mosvodostok urgently check storm drains and clean water intakes.

“Mosvodostok’s operational teams have been transferred to an enhanced regime. In total, about 290 pieces of equipment and 300 brigades have been brought to the streets of the city. This includes manual cleaning, and if necessary, we use equipment, we pump out water,” said Ivan Fedosov, lead engineer of EGTR-1 State Unitary Enterprise “Mosvodostok”

The capital’s janitors, despite the unexpected thaw, have also increased their work. In the park of the 850th anniversary of Moscow, a whole landing party was thrown to clear paths and playgrounds. You have to work quickly. According to weather forecasts, up to a quarter of the monthly rainfall may fall today in the form of rain, and by the evening it will freeze again.

“The stairways along the Moskva River are cleared of ice, we sprinkle them with de-icing sand, since the use of reagents in park areas is prohibited,” said Evgeny Bykov, head of the maintenance and improvement department of the State Budgetary Institution Highways of the South-Eastern Administrative District.

De-icing agents treat sidewalks at entrances, at bus stops and near social facilities – clinics, schools and kindergartens. In parallel, the roofs of buildings are cleared of snow and ice.

“Taking into account strong gusts of wind, it is necessary to prevent a break in overhead electrical networks. Emergency teams are prepared, ready to take action, even if there is icing on the wires, emergency power supplies are ready,” said Pyotr Biryukov, Deputy Mayor in the Moscow Government for Housing – communal economy and landscaping

The fault is “Elsa” from the Atlantic Ocean. But a cyclone with a female name will show its fickle character – it will also leave the city suddenly, leaving behind an icy glaze.