Cyclone Cuts Off Sakhalin Island From Mainland

A powerful snow cyclone left Primorye and on Tuesday reached Sakhalin. RIA Novosti was told in the main civil defence department of the Sakhalin region that because of snow and strong wind Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk airport, the main air gates of the region, does not work. The movement of the sea ferries plying between the mainland's port of Vanino and the island's port of Kholmsk was interrupted. The schedule of the railway communication has not been affected so far.

Already in the first hours, the elements damaged four power transmission lines, and damaged the energy supply to four populated localities. Two settlements in the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk suburbs - Novo-Aleksandrovka and Lugovoye - were partially left without electricity. The traffic on the motor roads "Kholmsk-Nevelsk" and "Ilyinsk-Tomari" was blocked because two snow avalanches had descended.

A record-high number of avalanche descents has been registered on Sakhalin this winter which is rich in cyclones.

RIA Novosti was told in the regional snow avalanche service that more than 350 avalanches descended on the island since the beginning of winter. This number is usually typical of the entire snow period of time on the island which lasts for more than five months.

The number of avalanche descents increased this year. In January it reached 250. The snow flows blocked the motor roads in the plain and mountainous areas.

However, experts say that the peak of the snow descents is still ahead.