Moscow-- Thousands of Russians celebrated the Orthodox Epiphany, with believers bathing in the icy waters of frozen lakes and rivers, but unusually warm winter temperatures forced them to cancel traditional ceremonies.

Across Russia, devout and courageous people celebrate Epiphany on January 19 by immersing themselves in icy water through holes cut in the ice of lakes and rivers, imitating the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River.

Many praise the practice for strengthening the soul and body, although rescuers are on standby in case anyone's heart races from the icy soak.

But unusually warm temperatures prompted local emergency services in some areas to cancel events, saying the ice was too thin for worshipers to safely bathe.

Ceremonies were canceled as far away as the Saratov and Karelia regions of southern Russia, which are nearly 1,000 miles from the country's border with Finland.

Other regions have also vowed to continue holding their ceremonies, although melting ice is not the only problem. In the Russian city of Anapa, officials said the ceremony would still be held at a traditional location on the Black Sea, despite two Russian oil tankers sinking in bad weather on December 15 and thousands of tons of oil falling into the nearby Kerch Strait. weather.

Temperatures across Russia have been rising over the past 25 years as the world warms, said Leonid Starkov, a meteorologist at Gismeteo in Moscow.

"Most of Russia will be enthusiastic about these Epiphany celebrations. Average temperatures are significantly above normal," he said. "We're already seeing a thaw in St. Petersburg. In Moscow, we're seeing a thaw. And in southern Russia, temperatures are already reaching 5 degrees Celsius or 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit)."

So far, officials have responded by setting up alternative sites for swimmers, usually in smaller rivers and lakes. The water was still cold, and some worshipers hurriedly wrapped themselves in large towels, while onlookers bundled up in scarves, hats and coats to watch.

But Starkov said Russians will need to adapt to a future in which extreme or unseasonal weather — both extreme and unseasonal — is more common.

"In the past 25 years, there have been six Epiphany celebrations with cooler than normal temperatures, and five of them were very cold. Extreme weather is increasing," Starkov said.