The city of Yakutsk in Siberia is currently breaking cold records: after crossing the -50 ° C mark a few days ago, the thermometer there now displays… -62.7 ° C. The coldest the city has known in twenty years. January is always the coldest month of the year in Lakutsk, but even at this time the average temperature rarely drops below -40°C. So current temperatures are unusual, but consistent with a cold snap affecting much of Siberia.

The people of Yakutsk are used to harsh winters, but this is brutal even for them. Such cold is dangerous, especially because of the possibility of snow. Currently, the entire city is shrouded in a snowy fog, according to the North-Eastern Federal University of Yakutsk, CNN reports.

“This happens when the air is too cold to allow warm air to rise away from houses, people, and cars,” the firm explains.

Other residents are obliged to carry on with as normal a life as possible, unless new students are advised to “go outside when the temperature drops below -40 degrees Celsius in winter”.