Temperatures in the world's coldest city plunged to −50°C on Monday.
Residents in the city of Yakutsk in Eastern Siberia have been layering up to beat the freeze.
“You can't fight it. You either adjust and dress accordingly or you suffer,” resident Anastasia Gruzdeva told Reuters while wearing two scarves, two pairs of gloves and several hats and hoods.
Situated on a permafrost about 450km south of the Arctic Circle, Yakutsk has its coldest month every January and this year, it witnessed an extra-long cold snap. Despite that, it’s still only the eighth coldest place in the world.
From the wilderness of Antarctica to Yukon in Canada, here are 10 of the coldest observed places on Earth.
1. East Antarctic Plateau, Antarctica
In August 2010, an eye-watering temperature of −94°C was recorded on the East Antarctic Plateau in the world's coldest continent.
It beat the previous record for the wintry region, which had stood since 1983.
However, as it was captured using remote sensing from satellites, rather than ground-based thermometers, it's often not considered to be a contender for the official world record.
2. Vostok Station, Antarctica
Once topping this list, and still considered the world’s coldest place by many, the remote Vostok Station in Antarctica has an official recorded low temperature of −89.2°C, taken in 1983.
As well as being in one of the coldest places on earth, this research station also finds itself in one of the world’s sunniest spots. Every December, the region gets more than 22 hours of daily sunlight. But it’s a different story in the summertime when the polar night means there are zero hours of daylight.
3. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica
The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is one of three research stations operated by the United States Antarctic Programme and the site of the project's lowest recorded temperature.
The station is on the high plateau of Antarctica's nearly featureless ice sheet, about 2,835m above sea level. It is one of the world’s coldest places, with −82.8°C being the lowest temperature captured here in 1982.
The research hub is drifting with the ice sheet, about 10 metres each year.
4. Denali, Alaska, US
Mount Denali is North America’s tallest mountain and one of the world’s coldest destinations, although its inclusion on this list might be controversial.
The third highest of the Seven Summits — the highest mountains on each of the seven continents — Mount Denali (formerly Mount McKinley) is known for its brutal winters, where temperatures are believed to have dipped to as low as −73°C at some point in history.
The data was derived from a self-recording thermometer left on the slopes in 1913 at an elevation of about 4,600 metres. While the device has been tested by the former United States Weather Bureau and found to be accurate, there are unanswered questions, as the exact date on which the temperature was captured is not verified.
Despite its bitterly cold weather, Mount Denali attracts hardy adventure-seeking tourists who flock to its slopes for Nordic skiing and mountaineering.
5. Klinck station, Greenland
The coldest temperature ever recorded in the Northern Hemisphere can be traced to Klinck station on Greenland's ice sheet.
The World Meteorological Organisation officiated a biting −69.6°C temperature set at the station in December 1991. The data was captured by an automatic weather station, and was only introduced into the public domain about 30 years later.
The remote site is only reachable via snowmobile, which meant researchers had to be very careful transporting the sensitive temperature-recording equipment through very rough snow surfaces.
6. Oymyakon, Siberia, Russia
In the Republic of Sakha in Eastern Siberia, the hamlet of Oymayakon is one of the world’s coldest inhabited places. With perpetual below-zero temperatures, the village experienced peak cold levels in 1933, when meteorologists recorded a temperature of −67.7°C.
There is a monument in Oymyakon's town square commemorating an unofficial temperature from January 1924 that declared a reading of −71.2°C, but this data has not been independently verified.
Despite its year-round biting temperatures, a few hundred people call the destination home and survive on a diet largely consisting of frozen fish and reindeer meat. It's also where the world’s coldest marathon took place last year, with runners battling biting temperatures across 42km with many participants seeing their eyebrows and eyelashes freeze over.
7. North Ice, Greenland
The now abandoned North Ice research station in Greenland was previously thought to be the coldest destination in the Northern Hemisphere with a recorded temperature of −66.1°C taken in January 1954.
Since scientists discovered new data captured by an automatic weather station at Klinck in 1991, the site is no longer the record holder for the region, but it remains one of the world’s coldest. The station was abandoned 69 years ago.
8. Yakutsk, Siberia, Russia
Siberia's Yakutsk made headlines this week as the city hit −50°C on the thermometer and residents wrapped up to brave the cold.
Despite the chill, it's far from the coldest temperatures recorded in the Russian city that lies about 450km south of the Arctic Circle.
In 1891, it experienced a freezing −64.4°C. The Russian city takes its role as one of the world’s coldest seriously and is home to the only museum dedicated to permafrost.
9. Snag, Yukon Territory, Canada
Canada’s coldest place when it comes to average yearly temperatures is Eureka in Nunavut, but it’s Snag on the Alaska-Yukon border that is the site of the country’s coldest-ever recorded temperature.
Nestled about 25km from Beaver Creek, Canada’s westernmost community, Snag set a chill-inducing figure of −63.0°C back in 1947.
Formerly home to an emergency landing strip during the Second World War, at the time of the record-setting temperature, the village was home to a population of about 10 First Nation locals and 20 researchers who braved its subarctic climates.
10. Prospect Creek, Alaska, US
Uninhabited since the early 1990s, Prospect Creek in Alaska is one of the world’s coldest destinations.
Sitting below the Arctic Circle, the tiny ghost town is home to one of the lowest US temperatures ever captured, a chilly −62.1°C documented by a weather observer in January 1971.
With its subarctic climate, the town has consistently been known for having the coldest winters in the US, and is the record holder for the lowest non-contested temperature in the continental US.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
RESULTS
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
It
Director: Andres Muschietti
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor
Three stars
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Wonka
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Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
The details
Colette
Director: Wash Westmoreland
Starring: Keira Knightley, Dominic West
Our take: 3/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
- For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
- If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
- Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
RESULTS
Dubai Kahayla Classic – Group 1 (PA) $750,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
Winner: Deryan, Ioritz Mendizabal (jockey), Didier Guillemin (trainer).
Godolphin Mile – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
Dubai Gold Cup – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (Turf) 3,200m
Winner: Subjectivist, Joe Fanning, Mark Johnston
Al Quoz Sprint – Group 1 (TB) $1million (T) 1,200m
Winner: Extravagant Kid, Ryan Moore, Brendan Walsh
UAE Derby – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Rebel’s Romance, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Dubai Golden Shaheen – Group 1 (TB) $1.5million (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zenden, Antonio Fresu, Carlos David
Dubai Turf – Group 1 (TB) $4million (T) 1,800m
Winner: Lord North, Frankie Dettori, John Gosden
Dubai Sheema Classic – Group 1 (TB) $5million (T) 2,410m
Winner: Mishriff, John Egan, John Gosden
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pakistan squad
Sarfraz (c), Zaman, Imam, Masood, Azam, Malik, Asif, Sohail, Shadab, Nawaz, Ashraf, Hasan, Amir, Junaid, Shinwari and Afridi
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