The heat wave, which led to a record 71 drowning deaths Monday, will last another 10 days, the country's chief forecaster said.

Daily highs in European Russia will subside to between 30 and 33 degrees Celsius over the next two days before rebounding to 36 C or more by the end of weekend, Alexander Frolov, head of the Federal Meteorological Service, said Tuesday.

Temperatures have broken July records in dozens of cities in western Russia, including Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod and Samara, while Moscow may this weekend break the all-time record of 36.8 C set in August 1920.

Almost 300 people drowned in Russia last week as they sought to cool off in rivers, lakes and seas, with Mondays toll reaching a daily record of 71, the Emergency Situations Ministry said.

Relief should come in August, which will only be "mildly hot," Frolov told reporters.

Daily highs west of the Ural Mountains will probably average between 20 and 25 C next month, Frolov said.