Weather brings a bit of Moscow to UK

The signal carried nearly 1,700 miles from Moscow

Extreme weather conditions resulted in listeners tuned to a local BBC radio station in Somerset hearing a broadcast from Moscow.

Regular listeners to Somerset Sound were surprised to hear a news update and weather forecast for Moscow replace the travel news on their local BBC station.

Odd atmospheric conditions had carried the signal from an English language Russian radio station nearly 1,700 miles across northern Europe.

The interference worked both ways, though, and the BBC has received letters from people as far away as Canada saying they picked up Somerset Sound's traffic and travel round-up.

Phenomenon

"We have got letters from Sweden, Italy, Scandinavia and even Newfoundland, where somebody has written to us and said they have picked up radio Somerset Sound," said the BBC's John Ramsden.

"It shows what effect the weather can have."

Mr Ramsden added that the phenomenon, which was due to atmospheric pressure, was more likely to happen in the winter and after dark.

One person who might once have appreciated the Russian broadcast is Boris Yeltsin's grandson, also called Boris, who attended Millfield School, near Street in Somerset.