The festive season might be done and dusted for another year, but it’s okay to still dream of a winter wonderland.
While snow can be non-existent across parts of the UK, Scotland is known for chilly weather conditions. In fact, the coldest temperature to ever be recorded was -27.2C in Braemar, back in 1895 and 1982.
Of course that’s nothing when you compare it to the world’s chilliest city which sees temperatures plunge to a heart-dropping -71C. Oymyakon, in Eastern Siberia, Russia, regularly sees the mercury drop to below a chilling -50C.
Even by the standards of Siberia, dubbed one of the coldest inhabited regions in the world, that’s pretty extreme conditions. Its coldest ever recorded temperature hit -71.2C all the way back in 1924.
But even nowadays the average temperature in the winter is around -50C, which is still rather nippy. One TikTok page, known for its facts, revealed it can be a “struggle” to live in such freezing conditions.
Meanwhile, a man previously showed what a “pretty warm day” looks like, although it’s still -55C. The area’s remote location miles from any ocean and deep in a valley locks it into a freezing desert in wintertime.
Plus, local legend has it it that when God was creating the Earth, His hands became so cold moving around the ice, He dropped it all in Oymyakon.
With such low temperatures, it means frostbite could set within minutes, so wrapping up warm is essential. Cars are kept running almost all the time or else the engines will freeze up.
Most toilets are outhouses without plumbing due to the pipes going solid and the cold could even freeze your eyelashes if you walk around the village without a balaclava.
The ink in children’s pens can freeze as they go to school and people’s glasses sometimes stick to their faces. Even your phone camera lens can freeze over when trying to take a snap.
While many of us will put high strength spirits in the freezer to chill them and not worry about the drink – as liquor has such a low freezing point – even bottles of vodka can go solid if left on your doorstep in Oymyakon.
The village is unusual due to the weather with its local delicacy being raw foal meat, which is eaten like deli meat. The vitamin-rich dish gives residents the vitamins they would otherwise get from fresh fruits and vegetables which cannot grow there.
Currently, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel to Russia amid risks and threats from its continuing invasion of Ukraine.
The GOV.UK website said: “FCDO advises British nationals against all travel to Russia due to the risks and threats from its continuing invasion of Ukraine. The situation in Russia is unpredictable.
“This includes: security incidents, such as drone attacks, happening in some parts of the country, lack of available flights to return to the UK, limited ability for the UK government to provide consular assistance.”