Moscow, Mar 25 (IANS/RIA Novosti): More than 15,000 snow removal machines were sent out on the streets after an unprecedented snowstorm hit the Russian capital. A snowstorm caused a state of emergency in Ukraine's capital Kiev.

The specialised vehicles and 36,000 yard-keepers were involved in the snow clean-up on the roads, said a spokesman for Moscow's housing and public utilities department.

The clean-up crews were put on high alert as meteorologists warned that heavy snowfall, which is totally abnormal for March, could continue Monday, the spokesman said.

Temperatures in Moscow and the nearby areas are expected to fall to minus 11 degrees Celsius.

Russia's aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said the heavy snowfall did not hamper the operation of Moscow's airports.

In Kiev, which has been crippled by heavy snow since Friday, authorities declared Monday an official day off. The snowfall has caused cancellation and delays in air and railway traffic in the Ukrainian capital.