Video: watson/hanna dedial
As an intense heatwave grips Europe, Russia is hit by severe storms. A super cyclone brings thunderstorms, extreme rain and tornadoes.
July 12, 2026, 4:31 p.mJuly 12, 2026, 4:31 p.m
Ellen Ivits / t-online
A severe storm hit Moscow and the surrounding area on Saturday. Within a short time, heavy rain and large-grain hail fell over the Russian capital. There was also lightning and gusts of wind that, according to city authorities, reached storm speeds of up to 20 meters per second.
In several parts of the city, trees fell, streets were filled with water, and tram traffic came to a standstill in some places. In a stadium, lightning struck near two men who were watching a soccer game. Both lost consciousness. Information about her further condition is not yet available.
Video: watson/hanna dedial
Two lows merge to form a super cyclone over Russia
Meteorologists attribute the sudden change in the weather to the meeting of two low pressure areas over Russia. This is the Atlantic low “Bernadette” and a thermal low that formed over the north of the Caspian Sea. Both systems influence each other and, according to weather experts, merge to form a large-scale low-pressure complex, which they call a supercyclone.
According to meteorologists, the core of this weather system lies over central Russia. Since both low pressure areas rotate counterclockwise, they reinforce each other as they merge.
According to the weather service, “Bernadette” is gradually losing power, but the weather situation over the European part of Russia remains unstable. Meteorologists expect new precipitation from Atlantic lows later this month.
Quarter of the monthly rainfall in 20 minutes
The storm was not limited to Moscow. The storm front also reached St. Petersburg on Saturday evening. Heavy rain and thunderstorms fell over the city for several hours, and hail also fell in parts of the region. In the south of St. Petersburg, around a quarter of the average monthly rainfall occurred in just 20 minutes.
Hurricane-like gusts uprooted numerous trees. Some crashed onto parked cars, others blocked streets. There was a temporary power outage in several residential areas. The storm also affected air traffic. Numerous aircraft were initially unable to fly to the city’s airport and circled over the region for a long time.
Tornadoes in several regions of Russia
Even before the low pressure area arrived in Moscow and St. Petersburg, severe damage had been reported in other parts of Russia. In Ryazan Oblast, a tornado passed over the village of Dubrovichi, according to reports from regional media and the Telegram channel Baza.
The approaching storm on the coast near St. Petersburg.Image: www.imago-images.de
Tornadoes and severe squalls had also previously occurred in the Sverdlovsk and Bashkortostan regions. Dozens of homes there were damaged. In addition, the electricity, water and gas supplies were temporarily interrupted in several towns. In the regional capital of Tver, torrential rain turned streets into raging streams within minutes. Eyewitnesses reported fallen trees and widespread flooding.
Meteorologists warned that the weather system is moving further towards central Russia. In addition to Moscow, the republics of Tatarstan and the Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir, Tula and Kaluga regions could also be affected. Thunderstorms, heavy rain, stormy gusts and local tornadoes are also expected there.
Storms around Moscow continue
According to the forecasts, the weather situation is unlikely to calm down at first. In the Moscow region, heavy rainfall is expected to continue until Monday. According to meteorologists’ estimates, up to 90 percent of the average monthly rainfall could fall within a few days.
Weather services are also expecting exceptionally high amounts of rain in other parts of European Russia. According to current information, the large-scale low pressure complex is likely to continue to determine the weather in large parts of the Russian plain in the coming week.
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