Siberian town hits record 38C over weekend amid heat wave

A Siberian town with the world's widest temperature range has recorded a new high amid a heat wave that is contributing to severe forest fires.

The temperature in Verkhoyansk hit 38 C on Saturday, according to Pogoda i Klimat, a website that compiles Russian meteorological data.

The town is located above the Arctic Circle in the Sakha Republic, about 4,660 kilometresnortheast of Moscow.

The town of about 1,300 residents is recognized by Guinness World Records for the most extreme temperature range, with a low of -68 C to a previous high of 37.2 C.

Much of Siberia this year has had unseasonably high temperatures, leading to sizeable wildfires.

In the Sakha Republic, more than 275,000 hectaresare burning, according to Avialesokhrana, the government agency that monitors forest fires.