The dangers of Moscow's heatwave

Temperatures in Russia this summer have been the highest since records began more than 100 years ago, and the heat is taking its toll on the city.

Since the beginning of July, temperatures in Moscow have regularly been reaching 35 degrees Celsius. That is plus 35, not minus 35 - a temperature not unknown during the Moscow winter.

Muscovites have been wilting and tarmac has been melting, while ice-cream and cold-drink vendors have been cashing in and selling out.

But in the shade at Arkhangelskoye, life is cool.

An object floating in the river briefly caught my eye, but I thought nothing more of it as I admired the beauty of our surroundings and we set up a picnic on the bank.

Minutes later, our tranquillity was shattered when an ambulance arrived.

The paramedics rowed a boat into the river and proceeded to drag the object out. It turned out to be the body of a man who had drowned two days earlier.

The man was another victim of a spate of drownings.

Many of the victims have got in to trouble while taking a dip after drinking far too much.

It is not uncommon to see men, but also some women, downing bottles of beer and vodka then staggering into rivers, lakes and reservoirs where it is clearly marked that bathing is strictly forbidden, because the water is either too dirty or dangerous or both.