Moscow stricken by historic heatwave

An ice-cream van stuck in melted asphalt on a Moscow street this week during the hottest five days in the city’s recorded history, freakish weather that triggered minor power failures, caused sunstrokes and led to a spate of drownings.

Russians, well prepared for winter, were caught by surprise by the unprecedented stretch of hot weather as the mercury climbed to high 80s and 90s Farenheit, forecasters said.