The extremely cold weather caused disruptions in transportation in Finland, Sweden and Norway, where snow made rail traffic difficult and ferry lines were suspended.
Thermometres in Finland and Sweden plunged to lower than -40 degrees Celsius in some places on Tuesday, as the two Scandinavian countries reported the coldest temperatures of this winter so far.
In the village of Nikkaluokta in northern Sweden, which is inhabited by indigenous Sami people, temperatures reached -41.6 degrees Celsius early on Tuesday, according to Swedish broadcaster SVT.
“It’s the coldest temperature we have had so far this winter, and it will continue to be quite cold in the north,” SVT meteorologist Nils Holmqvist said.
The freezing temperatures followed a warmer-than-average autumn in much of Europe, which came in the context of 2023 being reported as the warmest year on record. This is widely considered to be linked to global warming and climate change, as carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere are currently at their highest levels for at least 2 million years.
The cold spell which Finland and Sweden are currently under has caused disruptions in travel, including in Norway, where a major highway in the south was closed due to the weather and ferry lines suspended operations.
In Sweden, train operators said rail traffic in the Arctic north also suffered significant problems.
Central and southern Sweden will remain under a winter weather alert throughout Wednesday, as authorities warned against snow and wind.
In Finland, authorities warn that temperatures will be lower than -40 degrees Celsius through the week.
Source: Dw
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