A powerful cyclone hit the Russian Far East on Saturday, covering Kamchatka peninsula with a layer of deep snow.

The cyclone buried cars and brought traffic in the area's main city, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, to a standstill.

Local authorities said the area received as much snow in 24 hours as it normally receives in an entire month.

Some complained that road services were not adequately prepared for the blizzard.

"They (the city authorities) promise us every year and say that everything is ready. But when the first snowfall comes we see that nothing is ready," said Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky resident Yury.

Yesterday, residents were still digging cars out of the snow and getting their errands done by foot for lack of public transport.