OREANDA-NEWS  Snow has begun to melt intensively in Russia, now less than half of the country's territory remains covered with snow, Roman Vilfand, scientific director of the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia, told Interfax on Friday.

"The snow is starting to melt intensively. Now less than half of the country's territory, already 40-45 percent, no more, is covered with snow. He is already gradually starting to go down," Vilfand said.

He noted that snow melting occurs in Yakutia, where the sun sets for a short time.

At the same time, as Vilfand stressed, active snowmelt is the key to high water, which is expected to end by mid-June.

As the scientific director of the Hydrometeorological Center clarified, flooding on the "great rivers of Siberia", including the Ob, Irtysh, Yenisei and Lena, usually ends at this time.