This Is Yakutsk, The Coldest City In The World In The Last Two Decades: The Temperature Reaches Minus 80°F

The city of Yakutsk, Russia. (Wikimedia Commons/Ilya Varlamov)

JAKARTA - The temperature in the world's coldest city has plunged to minus 62.7°C (minus 80.9 degrees Fahrenheit), the coldest temperature in more than two decades, meteorologists said.

It comes just two days after the Chinese city of Mohe, previously recorded a record minus 50 degrees Celsius (minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit).

Yakutsk, the capital of the Russian Sakha Republic in eastern Siberia, is widely known as one of the coldest places on earth. Most of Russia is currently experiencing record low temperatures and Yakutsk is experiencing a very long cold spell.

January is the coldest month in the city. Although most are used to freezing temperatures, residents in remote areas are taking extra precautions to stay warm, CNN launched January 18.

Winter in Yakutsk can be extreme, even by Russian standards. Experts say extreme cold temperatures pose serious physical risks. The air is cold enough to numb exposed skin, making frostbite a constant danger.

Yakutsk City, Russia. (Wikimedia Commons/Ilya Varlamov)

"You can't fight (the cold)," one resident wearing two scarves and several layers of gloves, a hat and a headscarf told Reuters.

"You adjust and dress accordingly or you will suffer," he continued.

Layering, according to another resident who sells frozen fish at the local market, is key. "Just dress warmly. Layer it, like cabbage," he said.

The city is shrouded in icy fog during winter. It occurs when the air is so cold that hot air from homes, people and cars cannot rise, according to the Northeastern Federal University in Yakutsk.

"It's not a good idea to take a walk in winter when the temperature drops below -40C," the university wrote in an advisory to incoming freshmen.

In 2018, it got so cold that some residents said their eyelashes froze.

Yakutsk City, Russia. (Wikimedia Commons/Ilya Varlamov)

With a population of around 355.500, Yakutsk has become one of the fastest growing regional cities in Russia.

The city is located in permafrost, a layer of frozen soil consisting of dirt, gravel and sand that is usually held in ice beneath the earth's surface. Many houses are built on concrete piles.

Yakutsk is known for its history of mining activity in the region. Main exports include diamonds and coal.

Due to its intense subarctic climate, tourism plays a lesser role in contributing to the local economy. However, this city still attracts adventurers who want to experience life in the coldest place on earth.

As in other parts of the world, climate change is having a big impact on Yakutsk. The city attracted international attention in July 2022, when smoke from a nearby forest fire ripped through the forest, blanketing the area in a thick layer of smoke.

Scientists express serious concern about the increasing frequency of fires caused by climate change in the Siberian Arctic.