A severe cold snap has swept across Siberia. Temperatures dropped close to -60°C in some places.

This year in Siberia, hard frosts have come exceptionally early in eastern Siberia. They usually occur later, in late December and January. It is currently 10 to 15 degrees colder there than normal for this time of year.

Temperatures plummeted below -50°C on December 6th in many parts of the Yakutia region in Russia's far east, and have not exceeded -45°C during the day. Some days have been even colder, with daytime highs staying below -50°C.

In the town of Oymyakon, known for its extremely cold climate, the temperatures fell to a bone-numbing -58°C, while Iema in the same region reached an extreme of -58.7°C.

By comparison, in Antarctica, the continent considered the coldest in the world, the polar summer is now beginning. The frost is not relenting, but it has certainly eased.

In the coldest places there, the temperature no longer drops below -45°C, though this is still bitterly and painfully cold.

This weekend in Siberia however, the winds will temporarily shift to the south, allowing temperatures to rise by 30 to 40 degrees, with daytime highs of -10°C rather than -50°C. You can check out just how cold it is on our interactive TemperatureRadar.