Floodwaters inundated various parts of Moscow for the second time within a week on Monday, following severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall that swept through the Russian capital.
By 9 a.m., a weather station located at VDNKh park noted that 33% of the city’s average monthly precipitation had fallen, as confirmed by meteorologist Yevgeny Tishkovets.
“Moscow has reached its monthly rainfall quota, while the greater Moscow region has exceeded it,” Tishkovets mentioned on Telegram, pointing out that the most intense rainfall occurred in the northwestern districts of the city.
Social media platforms were flooded with videos showing submerged parking lots, vehicles navigating through waterlogged underpasses, and pedestrians wading through flooded underground passages. In certain areas, floodwaters eroded soil, dispersing it across the streets.
Rainfall is anticipated to persist throughout the day. Moscow’s Transportation Department advised residents to refrain from driving and to opt for public transport when possible.
A yellow weather warning has been issued for Moscow and its surrounding areas, in effect until 9 p.m. on Monday. Meteorologists cautioned of strong winds gusting up to 15 meters per second, and the possibility of localized thunderstorms accompanied by hail.
Transportation officials noted that the flooding could cause traffic disruptions on major routes, including the Moscow Automobile Ring Road and the Third Ring Road.
The flooding incident on Monday mirrored events from the previous Tuesday, when torrential downpours reportedly delivered a month’s worth of rain to some parts of the city in less than two hours.
Climate scientists have long cautioned that Russia, which is warming at a rate 2.5 times faster than the global average, is increasingly susceptible to extreme weather phenomena, including extended heat waves and heavy rainfall.
