Nordic Countries Experience “Unprecedented” Heatwave, Driven by Climate Change

Nordic Countries Experience “Unprecedented” Heatwave, Driven by Climate Change
——————————————–
Nordic countries are currently experiencing a “truly unprecedented” heatwave, with scientists recording the longest consecutive period of temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius in the region since 1961, The Guardian reported. This extreme weather event is being intensified and prolonged by carbon pollution.

The impact of the heatwave is evident across the region. A weather station within the Norwegian Arctic Circle registered temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius on 13 days in July. Finland has endured three straight weeks of 30-degree heat, a duration 50% longer than its previous record. Even Arctic areas have seen temperatures remain above 25 degrees Celsius for three weeks. In Sweden, northern areas recorded long-term heatwaves, with Haparanda experiencing 14 consecutive days of 25 degrees Celsius or more, and Jokkmokk enduring a 15-day heatwave—periods not observed in over a century.

Temperatures in the affected areas are 8-10 degrees Celsius above seasonal norms, driven by warm waters off the Norwegian coast and a persistent high-pressure system. The unusual conditions have led to situations such as an ice rink in northern Finland opening as a refuge from the heat, and herders issuing warnings about reindeer deaths.

Scientists caution that such severe heatwaves are expected to intensify, occur more frequently, and last longer as a direct consequence of climate change.