Sweden on Wednesday experienced its coldest January night in 25 years, with temperatures plummeting to minus 43.6 degrees Celsius in the far north during a cold snap across the Nordics.
"To put it in perspective, this is the lowest January temperature in Sweden since 1999," stated Mattias Lind, a meteorologist at Sweden's national weather agency SMHI.
The temperature of minus 49 degrees Celsius (minus 56.2 Fahrenheit) recorded in January 1999 had tied the record set in 1951.
Lind noted that the recent measurement was taken at the Kvikkjokk-Arrenjarka station in Sweden's far north and marked the lowest temperature ever recorded at that specific location since measurements began in 1888.
Other stations in Sweden's north also reported temperatures below minus 40C.
While residents in the region are accustomed to freezing temperatures, the recent cold spell led to the suspension of local bus services, and train operator Vy cancelled all trains north of Umea for several days.
Neighboring Finland also faced disruptions, with a seasonal record of minus 38.7 Celsius recorded in the northern Lapland region. Frozen or burst water pipes were reported, and around 300 people in Tampere were left without running water.
The cold front is expected to move south in the coming days, with Helsinki experiencing temperatures falling to minus 15C. Despite the chill, some residents embraced the weather, emphasizing the importance of appropriate clothing and a positive attitude.
The freezing is anticipated to reach Norway later in the week, with Oslo potentially experiencing temperatures as low as minus 27C. The south of the country has already witnessed heavy snowfall, leading to school closures and cancelled flights.
