Sweden reports coldest January temperature in 25 years amid worsening climate change patterns worldwide

Sweden has recorded its coldest January night in 25 years, with a reading of minus 43.6 degrees Celsius in the far north as a cold snap hit the Nordics.

The extremely cold weather caused disruptions in transportation in Finland, Sweden and Norway, where snow made rail traffic difficult and ferry lines were suspended.

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.

At least 12,000 people – 30% more than in 2022 – lost their lives due to floods, wildfires, cyclones, storms, and landslides globally in 2023, according to a new analysis from Save the Children.

In around 240 such climate-related events recorded in 2023, international disaster database EM-DAT recorded a 60% rise in the number of deaths from landslides, a 278% increase in deaths from wildfires and a 340% increase in deaths from storms between 2022 and 2023.