Moscow airports are operating normally despite smoke from fires raging outside the Russian capital, the country's aviation authority Rosaviatsia said on Sunday.
The smoke has shrouded Moscow again after a brief respite as a result of peat bog and forest fires raging in the neighboring Vladimir and Ryazan regions. The smoke has been blown into Moscow by southeast winds, Russia's emergencies ministry earlier said.
"The visibility in Moscow airports is now 1,400-3,000 meters. The smoke has not caused any flight delays," Rosaviatsia said.
Since mid-June, the Moscow Region has been in the grips of an abnormal heat wave sparking peat bog and forest fires. During two weeks the capital was blanketed in acrid dense smog.
The worst smoky days were August 6 and 7, when the carbon monoxide concentration in the air exceeded the maximum permissible level 6 to 7 times over.
MOSCOW, August 15 (RIA Novosti)
