Heavy rainfall has caused significant flooding in Russia’s Far East, leading to evacuations and prompting officials to declare a state of emergency in the Magadan region and the adjacent republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

Earlier this week, Magadan region’s Governor Sergei Nosov reported that multiple stretches of both federal and regional roads had been closed and approximately 20 bridges were at risk of being swept away.

Authorities indicated that flooding had caused a power outage in the town of Omsukchan, located 420 kilometers (260 miles) northwest of Magadan city, with emergency teams still struggling to identify the source of the disruption by Thursday. Around 40 vehicles were stranded in the vicinity, necessitating the airlifting of eight women and children to the regional capital and the delivery of supplies to truck drivers awaiting the receding floodwaters.

In Sakha, which has been under an emergency order due to flooding since mid-July, local news reported that rescue teams airlifted 13 individuals from the inundated village of Orto-Balagan. Locals also mentioned that the town of Oymyakon, known as the coldest permanently inhabited place on the planet, had become isolated due to the rising waters.

Climate scientists have consistently warned that Russia is warming at roughly 2.5 times the global average, rendering it increasingly susceptible to extreme weather phenomena, including extended heatwaves and intense rainfall that results in severe flooding.