As of July 24th, parts of Moscow are already experiencing heavy rainfall, while other areas remain dry. Attention now turns to the weekend weather forecast.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast for Moscow today, as announced by the city`s municipal services complex. This comes despite earlier morning forecasts from the Hydrometeorological Center and Yandex.Weather, which predicted only `light rain,` leading many Moscow residents to forgo umbrellas. By noon, however, city authorities issued a new warning about the impending inclement weather on Thursday.
While some districts in Moscow are already experiencing downpours, others are still dry. Alexander Ilyin, a meteorologist from the `Meteo` forecasting center, commented:
Heavy rain is certainly on the way today; it`s unavoidable. The atmosphere remains quite unstable, so we cannot rule out short-term rains, and localized thunderstorms are possible. However, the weather is expected to improve on Friday; the atmosphere will stabilize, and we are not forecasting any rain for Moscow tomorrow. In certain areas of the Moscow region—specifically the northwest, west, south, and southwest—brief showers and thunderstorms might occur. For Moscow, temperatures tonight will be between +17 and +20 °C, and for the region, +15 to +20 °C. Wind speeds will be two to five meters per second, with gusts of 7-12 meters per second possible during thunderstorms. We anticipate pleasant, sunny weather for the weekend, with no precipitation in Moscow or the region on Saturday. On Sunday, however, the forecast introduces light, brief rain, and for the wider region, besides short showers, we might see some thunderstorms.
Q: Earlier this morning, forecasters mentioned only light rain, which likely led many people to leave their umbrellas at home.
A: Forecasters are on duty around the clock, updating predictions hourly based on current data.
Q: Are today`s heavy rains and thunderstorms expected across all of Moscow or only in specific areas?
A: The Eastern and Southeastern administrative districts are already experiencing thunder. The nature of the precipitation is localized, meaning some areas will be heavily impacted, while others may remain dry.
Moscow`s Department of Transport has warned that current weather conditions could impact road traffic today. They recommend using the metro for commuting around the city. For those who cannot avoid car travel, it is advisable to postpone journeys until later in the evening, after 7 PM.
Historical Downpour in Moscow: Photo Gallery
Moscow and its surrounding region were hit by torrential downpours, with nearly a quarter of the monthly rainfall norm occurring in just one day. Forecasters reported a record on July 21st, marking it as the wettest day since meteorological observations began in 1879. This photo gallery captures the appearance of city parks and streets during the most intense rains.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth