Cold Weather Here?

Temperatures are dropping and it’s not unusual to see Cubans on the streets wearing coats and even scarves, while others walk next to them in shorts and sweaters.

In reality, we are not very accustomed to the cold and that’s the explanation for certain exaggerations.

But how would Cubans behave if the thermometers dropped to -60 degrees Celsius or even lower?

It’s difficult to imagine, but that’s a normal temperature in Oymyakon, a small Russian town with about 900 inhabitants, located in eastern Siberia, and which is considered the coldest place in the world.

There they have broken a record by dropping the thermometers to -71.2º C, while the average is -62 degrees and winter lasts about nine months, a season in which the sun is only present for six hours each day.

In that place, no person can remain outside for more than 20 minutes, that is, without sheltering under a roof; even so, most people dedicate themselves to mining there, the local economy revolves around mining, particularly gold and antimony extraction.

In addition to dressing in layers of clothing and protecting their animals in particular, the residents of Oymyakon rely on hot springs to help them cope with the terrible frosts, which provide them with hot water, which is essential in such an inhospitable environment.

There, vehicles that stop working at temperatures below -20ºC are kept safe, so transportation is mostly on foot or by sled.

Appliances and other items must also be protected under controlled temperatures in order to be used later. And don't even think about vegetables, greens or fruit in such a climate.

Curiously, Oymyakon, precisely because of its unique temperatures, has become a tourist attraction for those who want to live that unique experience. But they assure that the local tourist office always warns those interested that: "anything that is not covered for protection will be covered in ice."

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff