Aleksandr Golubev, head of the short-term weather forecasting department at Russia's Hydrometeorological Center, said the term 'autumn rain' used for the rain expected in Moscow over the weekend is incorrect.
Some media outlets had previously described the rain forecast for Saturday and Sunday in the capital as an 'autumn rain'. Golubev said that characterization is definitely wrong, stating, 'Cloudy, even overcast skies are expected in Moscow over the weekend, but temperatures are too high to call it autumn rain.'
Golubev explained that the rain and thunderstorms expected from July 3 to July 7 are part of a change in weather patterns following a heat wave in Moscow and the surrounding region. 'The passage of the atmospheric front will completely change the weather, bringing precipitation, cloudy skies, and thunder,' he said.
Golubev noted that weekend temperatures will be about 3 degrees below seasonal norms, adding that this could be considered 'good weather in terms of not being oppressively hot'. He said locally heavy rain and thunderstorms will affect the capital during the day from July 3 to July 7, and at night only until July 5.