Russia declares federal emergency as country sees worst flooding in decades

The heaviest snow melt in decades has burst rivers across Siberia forcing thousands of people to flee. Rising temperatures linked to global warming have melted snow more quickly than usual in mountainous areas and on steppe, sending tonnes of water downstream. On Friday evening the Ural River, which flows south from Russia’s Ural Mountains through the Siberian steppe, rose to dangerously high levels. Within a few hours a dam defending the city of Orsk, home to 250,000 people, burst. #russia #flooding #russian Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months. Start your free trial now: Get the latest headlines: and are websites of The Telegraph, the UK’s best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news a