Winter - Minus 40 degrees - Europe's far north is shivering
The far north of Europe has started the new year with freezing temperatures. In northern Sweden, temperatures below minus 40 degrees Celsius were measured for the first time since the end of 2021, according to the Swedish Meteorological Institute SMHI. In some places, such as Umeå, it was the coldest it had been in twelve years.
According to the radio station SVT, all passenger train services north of Umeå have been suspended until Thursday due to safety risks caused by the cold.
According to the institute, there is currently an area of high pressure with extremely cold air over the north-east of Sweden and the north of Finland. In Nikkaluokta near Kiruna, minus 41.6 degrees was recorded. However, the Swedish cold record for this century is even lower: In February 2001, a whopping minus 44.0 degrees was measured in Storbo.
Meteorologists in neighboring Finland also recorded temperatures well into double digits below zero: it was freezing cold throughout the country, with temperatures generally ranging from minus 20 to minus 30 degrees, the Ilmatieteen laitos institute there wrote on its website on Tuesday. In the central and northern parts of the country, the cold could reach minus 40 degrees in the next few days.
Read also:
- Floods: water levels remain critical in many places
- Snow chaos further restricts Bavaria
- Continuous operation in the flood areas
- Flood situation remains tense in many places
The capital city of Sweden, Stockholm, is also experiencing cold weather, with temperatures dropping below freezing. This cold snap has even reached the cities of Helsinki and other parts of Finland, where temperatures have been consistently below minus 20 degrees Celsius. The extreme cold in Northern Europe is causing disruptions, with all passenger train services north of Umeå in Sweden suspended due to safety concerns. Despite the harsh temperatures in Northern Europe, the coldest recorded temperature in Sweden this century still stands at minus 44.0 degrees in Storbo.
Source: www.stern.de
