Spectacular scenes as tornadoes buzz the outskirts of Surgut city and Krasnoyarsk region.
One tornado passed over the Ob River, leading to concern by a crane operator that he was in the line of attack. He recorded a dramatic video before making a rapid exit from his cabin.
He later uploaded his video with the title: ‘Horror!!!!!!! Surgut, tornado in the middle summer !!!!’
His commentary as he watched the awesome natural phenomenon: ‘It’s something incredible! A real tornado! Surgut. Tornado in Surgut! So, goodbye, I’m going down. I’m in the crane and it’s coming right here!’
Previously tornadoes were observed in area of Surgut-2 gas-fired power station but they are more common in August and September. Locals believe that the main reason is the high temperature of the water in reservoirs of power plants.
On Wednesday there was a warm morning – around 25C – before a temperature drop to 16C accompanied by a storm soon after the tornado passed.
Some 1,800 kilometres to the east, another tornado hit the border of of Krasnoyarsk region and Khakassia, on the shore of Krasnoyarsk Reservoir. Local resident Sergey Kizhapkin filmed the breathtaking sight, to the alarm of his wife and children to felt in danger, as the commentary shows:
Sergey: Khakassia. It’s the first time I see such a turn of events here!
Wife: Let’s go, please!
Sergey: And I do not know where to go, it’s coming right towards us.
Children: Papa, please, let’s go! Why are standing and filming this, let’s go!
Sergey: I think it (the tornado) will be carried away…
Wife: Serezha (pet name for Sergei), we need to drive away. Why are we standing here?
Sergey: I cannot understand where to go, need to see where it is going…
Since he uploaded the video later, presumably the family escaped unscathed.
Krasnoyarsk meteorologist Lyudmila Bondarenko said that such tornadoes are rare in this part of Siberia.
The occurrence of tornadoes are very similar in cause to an ordinary squall – both phenomena are the result of an air pressure and temperature drop in the storm area.
Most often, tornadoes are formed in the water and are common in the US where they appear over oceans and go towards the cities, she said. She could not recall when tornadoes were recorded last time in Krasnoyarsk region.
By The Siberian Times reporter
07 July 2016
Picture:Spectacular scenes as tornadoes buzz the outskirts of Surgut city. Pictures: Igor Lazarev, Katerina Taylakova, Samarsky kranovshchik
