The high temperatures that have been scorching most of Europe this summer have reached Norway. That’s resulted in highly unusual forecasts of sunshine and more relatively hot weather from north to south.
State meteorologists confirmed this year’s hottest day so far on Wednesday, when thermometers hit 34C (93F) in an unlikely location: Meråker in Trøndelag, which is located in north-central Norway east of Trondheim and close to the Swedish border. It’s better known for its cold days in winter and as home of former Norwegian skiing star Petter Northug.
Meråker was far from the only place in Norway where thermometers passed 30C (85F), which may not seem hot in many other countries but is in the Nordic region. Wednesday evening’s 34C in Meråker beat this summer’s earlier hottest day when a temperature of 33.8 was recorded at Sauda in the mountains northeast of Stavanger in Southern Norway. The highest temerature ever recorded i Norway was 35.6C at Nesbyen in a mountain valley in Southern Norway on June 20, 1970.
“There are lots of of weather stations recording higher than 30C this evening,” state meteorologist Rune Skoglund told Norwegian Broadcating (NRK) on Wednesday. The five warmest were also in Trøndelag, including Grong and Åfjord, but also in Terråk farther north in Nordland County.
Residents flocked to local lakes, rivers and the seafront. In Grong, best known for its river that once had lots of wild salmon, locals were sliding through areas with shallow rapids and smooth rocks and enjoying a special summer day.
“It’s fun when it’s warm, first and foremost,” local mayor Ann Jeanett Klinkenberg told NRK. “We had a period with lots of rain and just 10C (50F), so it’s great to finally get some good weather.” She noted, however, that it comes with a warning “when we know that there’s global warming and climate change. I can’t remember ever experiencing these temperatures.”
Emergency crews nationwide were also standing by with extra helicopters in Verdal in Trøndelag, Bodø in Nordland and Tana in Finnmark, ready to take off in the case of forest fires, accidents or other problems caused by the hot weather. Fire danger warnings were raised to the next-highest level of orange in both Trøndelag and parts of Nordland, while the northernmost county of Finnmark is also recording high temperatures after a chilly start to the summer.
In Norway, a heat wave is defined as five or more days with temperatures over 27C (80F). “We’re having a heat wave in both Trøndelag and Nordland,” said state meteorologist Charalampos Sarchosidis.
Forecasts suggested the warm weather would continue, also in Southern Norway. Temperatures were due to hit 32C in Oslo Thursday evening and remain up to 30C through the weekend, until some more rain early next week. That may bring temperatures down to around 20C (nearly 70F), where they’re expected to remain through July.
There were also some dramatic and quick weather changes this week around Southern Norway, with lots of thunder and lightning and even a hailstorm at Skjebergkilen in Østfold. Hail as big as normal-sized ice cubes thundered down at a campground where holidaymakers had to seek cover. It was over, though, in just a few minutes.
NewsinEnglish.no/Nina Berglund