Cyclone approaches Kamchatka, local population warned

A powerful cyclone with gale-force winds and snowstorms has approached Kamchatka from the Pacific Ocean. Local residents are advised not to leave their settlements. According to the regional meteorological service, the cyclone has hit southern Kamchatka, including its main city Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski. Heavy snowfalls are registered everywhere. Visibility is poor on highways. Gusts of wind reach 23 meters per second in the regional centre. The maximum wind speed of 25 meters per second is fixed in the southernmost part of the peninsula. Schools have not been closed, but parents are allowed not to send their children to schools, the city administration reports. The airport of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski is open and is ready to receive planes. However, adverse weather conditions may change the flight schedule. Most likely all local flights will be canceled. It is highly probable that there will be delays with flights to Kamchatka from other regions of the country. The plane crews will decide on taking off depending on weather conditions, an officer from the Kamchatka airport said. Weathermen say the cyclone will be hovering over southern Kamchatka within a day. Then it will gradually begin influencing central and northern parts of the region, where weather conditions will remain unfavorable till April 13. Tourists and hunters are strongly advised to refrain from trips to the mountains.