Overnight rain is giving Moscow a break from the nation's worst heatwave. It has also cleared some of the smokey haze that choked the city for weeks.

But hundreds of fires continue to burn in the centre of the country and on the outskirts of Moscow. Karen Percy reports from the Russian capital.

Larissa Karpova, Social Services Worker, said, "At this age it is difficult for anyone to cope in these conditions. But here they can sit in cold, fresh air and find something to pass the time."

Karen Percy, said, Muscovites are breathing easier for the first time in weeks. But with so many fires still burning and above-average temperatures expected into next week, this crisis is far from over.