A prolonged heatwave in Siberia is “undoubtedly alarming”, climate scientists have said. The freak temperatures have been linked to wildfires, a huge oil spill and a plague of tree-eating moths.

With Russia on Covid-19 lockdown, 77 houses were burned down in Novosibirsk and Kemerovo regions.

Burned area data show that there was an unusual amount of fire activity in the 2020 fire season in northern Siberia (north of 65 degrees). This fire activity was associated with severe summer drought that led to extreme fire behavior and long-duration fires.