Santa's in a sweat as Lapland's record heatwave hits 32C
The heatwave had stretched across 15 consecutive days by yesterday. Finland's official heatwave threshold is three days with highs over 25C.
In Rovaniemi, the administrative capital of Lapland (and the hometown of Santa Claus), daily maximum temperatures jumped from just 11C in late June to 29C by mid-July.
Elsewhere in Lapland, temperatures have climbed even higher.
Weather stations in Ylitornio and Sodankyla recorded peaks of 32C earlier this week, around 10C above the seasonal average and among the highest temperatures ever measured.
Several other locations across Lapland have also reported their longest heatwaves since records began.
Going into next week, forecasters have said the heat will ease.
Jason Nicholls, AccuWeather's lead international forecaster, told The Independent: 'The ridge of high pressure responsible for the heat over the region will push eastward this weekend, which should result in the heat easing this weekend and early next week.'
Finnish Meteorological Institute's meteorologist Jaakko Savela said the last time Lapland experienced a heatwave like this was in 1972.
'But even that only lasted 12 to 14 days, depending on the exact location,' he told the BBC.
'Records are being broken.'
The weather has sparked fresh concerns about the pace of climate change in the Arctic, which is heating up four to five times faster than the global average, according to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The panel has warned that heatwaves like this are becoming more frequent and intense due to human-driven climate change.
Mr Savela said that this particular heatwave in Lapland was not directly caused by climate change.
He told the BBC: 'Climate change has had an impact. Without it, temperatures over the last two weeks would have been lower'.
Meanwhile, the region's long summer days, where it is still light outside at 11pm, are keeping temperatures high late into the night.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Hot topic: Why bake on the Med when you can have a 'coolcation' at home?
It's the summer season, and you've planned your getaway for months. You are heading for the sunnier climes of Spain or Portugal, even as far as Greece. The traditional sun holiday had it all: beaches, sea, some nice food and most of all, the guarantee of good weather. The sun holiday has been with us for decades, and it's something I've always enjoyed; it's a break from Ireland and the inclement weather. This was something we all revelled in for countless summers. Come the school holidays and the quieter month of August, when the country traditionally shuts down for silly season, we all flocked to the Med. But one would want to be wilfully ignoring the weather forecast for Europe for the last few years, not to know heatwaves are becoming more common; what was once an occasional flare-up now seems to be the norm. I first noticed it in 2018 when a summer heatwave and drought hit Ireland and the UK. Having lived in Australia for nearly a decade, I initially welcomed that warm spell, but then the heat lingered, and I began to have second thoughts. And that was only the start of it. Greece and Turkey are currently battling wildfires, with temperatures above 40C. Picture: Pantelis Fykaris/ via AP The year 2022 saw the worst drought in the Iberian Peninsula for 1,200 years, but it wasn't alone. California also experienced a megadrought, the worst in 1,00 years. The droughts also go hand-in-hand with that deadly outcome: fire. Over the past few summers, wildfires have burned across Europe in our traditional holiday countries. Wildfires and 40C temperatures Indeed, at the time of writing, Greece and Turkey are battling wildfires, with temperatures above 40C. In southern Turkey, the temperatures reached 50.5C in the southeastern city of Silopi, as reported by the BBC, with people being evacuated in the region in their thousands. Tourists have in recent years at times been caught in the crosshairs of these extreme heat and wildfires, with tourists evacuated from holiday regions. Just recently, 5,000 people were evacuated from the island of Crete (more than half of them tourists.) And evacuation is a best-case scenario — in the Greek wildfires in 2023, there were 28 deaths and 75 people injured. But it's not just wildfires, the extreme heatwaves can have more subtle impacts, with estimates now saying some 2,300 people died due to high heat across 12 European cities between June 23 and July 2 of this year, according to research conducted by Imperial College London. France alone saw some 480 people die due to extreme heatwaves that affected nearly the entire nation from June 19 to July 6. The numbers and temperatures can seem improbable at the remove of, by-and-large, temperate Ireland, but once one has experienced 40C, you remember that sort of heat and how oppressive it can be. We knew the climate was changing, but the rate of change of warming in Europe is now faster than the global average — indeed, it is the fastest-warming continent on the planet. With all this in mind, quite a few of us have now started to do something different. Instead of heading for an oppressive Mediterranean beach, people are opting for cool-weather tourism. Cool-weather tourism, or coolcations as it is known, is the option to switch from the heat to a cooler climate country. Escaping heat and overtourism It's not that we are choosing bad weather, rather we are opting to escape the heat and, in the case of many city breaks, the scourge of overtourism. The great thing about coolcations is we don't have far to go — Ireland is right up there on the list of coolcation destinations. Countries like ours, the Scandinavian nations, and even as far flung as Patagonia in Chile and Argentina are now coming into focus for holiday makers. It's why this year I'll be taking my few days' holiday in Ireland and Scotland. The benefits are many if we can break away from the concept of sun worship. Many coolcation regions are a short flight or drive away, they don't suffer from overtourism for the most part, and you can relax at ease knowing that even the big famous tourism spots won't be inundated with snap-happy tourists. My choice of holidaying in a cooler Ireland and Scotland, however, does come with some consequences. Things are more expensive here than say a sunny beach town in Spain, and hotels prices and eating out can put a real dent in holiday plans. Last summer, we went to Dingle in Kerry, pictured, the summer before, we went to Connemara. There were tourists there, but it never felt oppressive. But then I know how much it costs to do this in Ireland already, so we can maybe opt for different approaches, an Airbnb, and cook our own meals rather than going out to restaurants each night of the holiday, or going to galleries and museums, many of which are free. I'm not some Johnny-come-lately on coolcations, though — I knew about it before it was cool, as they say. Last summer, we went to Dingle in Kerry, the summer before, we went to Connemara. There were tourists there, but it never felt oppressive, and the weather was good, bright, but never too hot. And it turns out, I'm far from alone. Euronews reported earlier this year there has been a 44% increase in people travelling to cooler-weather locations for their holidays, including the Nordics, Canada and Iceland. A different sort of holiday Of course, a cool-weather holiday is a different sort of holiday. In Scotland or Ireland, lying on a beach is probably not going to be your number one priority, but if we can get over that stumbling block, there are plenty of more active opportunities on offer. Hill-walking and mountain-climbing in Scotland or Ireland is breathtaking, one can catch a wave on some of the best surf in the world on Ireland's west coast or, as I have heard from fishing friends, go for salmon in the Baltics or even northern Russia. Tourism is already our largest indigenous industry, so we are well used to managing crowds, but we'd better ensure the good thing about Ireland, which is that it never feels too busy, can remain while we accommodate the expected surge. It all sounds good on paper, but if coolcations take off, do we risk these cool-weather locations and countries suffering the same overtourism as our Mediterranean neighbours? We don't want the MacGillycuddy's Reeks to have a queue to get to the top like the Eiffel Tower, or a fjord in Norway to become the new Venice, polluted with cruise ships. As this new trend emerges, it's up to us cool-weather nations to manage the inflow of these extra tourists coming to our nations. Tourism is already our largest indigenous industry, so we are well used to managing crowds, but we'd better ensure the good thing about Ireland, which is that it never feels too busy, can remain while we accommodate the expected surge. It's a holiday option I'll be taking for the foreseeable and one that gives me a sense of relief. I don't have to fly south, I don't have to suffer sweltering heat, and as I'm holidaying with the family in Ireland, I can drive there in the comfort of my own vehicle. Europe and the world is changing. I don't want to live through another 40C heatwave, and if I have my way about it, I won't. There's something to be said for that. And something that thousands are starting to catch on to. If Ireland is smart, we'll be a player in coolcation opportunities, and we can do it and welcome people from around the world as we have always done — with a smile and perhaps a hot whiskey to warm them up.
Irish Independent
26-07-2025
- Irish Independent
Santa's in a sweat as Lapland's record heatwave hits 32C
After an unusually cold and rainy spring and early summer, the region, which lies inside the Arctic Circle, has been caught in an intense and persistent heatwave. The heatwave had stretched across 15 consecutive days by yesterday. Finland's official heatwave threshold is three days with highs over 25C. In Rovaniemi, the administrative capital of Lapland (and the hometown of Santa Claus), daily maximum temperatures jumped from just 11C in late June to 29C by mid-July. Elsewhere in Lapland, temperatures have climbed even higher. Weather stations in Ylitornio and Sodankyla recorded peaks of 32C earlier this week, around 10C above the seasonal average and among the highest temperatures ever measured. Several other locations across Lapland have also reported their longest heatwaves since records began. Going into next week, forecasters have said the heat will ease. Jason Nicholls, AccuWeather's lead international forecaster, told The Independent: 'The ridge of high pressure responsible for the heat over the region will push eastward this weekend, which should result in the heat easing this weekend and early next week.' Finnish Meteorological Institute's meteorologist Jaakko Savela said the last time Lapland experienced a heatwave like this was in 1972. 'But even that only lasted 12 to 14 days, depending on the exact location,' he told the BBC. 'Records are being broken.' The weather has sparked fresh concerns about the pace of climate change in the Arctic, which is heating up four to five times faster than the global average, according to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The panel has warned that heatwaves like this are becoming more frequent and intense due to human-driven climate change. Mr Savela said that this particular heatwave in Lapland was not directly caused by climate change. He told the BBC: 'Climate change has had an impact. Without it, temperatures over the last two weeks would have been lower'. Meanwhile, the region's long summer days, where it is still light outside at 11pm, are keeping temperatures high late into the night.
Dublin Live
15-07-2025
- Dublin Live
Dublin weather: Heatwave return potential as 'historic temperatures' scorch northern Europe
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Ireland could be in for a return of hot weather soon as record-breaking temperatures grip parts of Scandinavia - with some areas seeing what experts are calling historic conditions. In Iceland, temperatures soared to an astonishing 29.5C in Hjarðarland. Weather experts noted this as one of the hottest days in the country's history, adding to a string of extreme readings across the region. In Norway, several July temperature records were smashed including 33.3C in Steinkjer, 32.6C in Marstein, 32.2C in Molde and 31.2C in Buholmarasa. Meanwhile, in Arctic parts of Sweden and Finland, the mercury also hit highs of 32-33C - conditions rarely seen at such northern latitudes. Met Eireann have not issued any heatwave alerts for Ireland yet, but the forecast suggests improving temperatures are on the way this weekend after a cool and unsettled spell. By Sunday this week, bright sunny days should hopefully be back again. But we have to wade through the week to get there, with Dubliners waking up today to a cloudy and wet start. Brighter weather along with scattered showers will extend gradually from the west through the afternoon and evening. Temperatures will still get up to around 20C. Tonight will be mostly dry and noticeably cooler, with temperatures dropping to between 9-12C. And here is what Met Eireann are saying for the rest of the week: Overview: Changeable and rather unsettled. Wednesday: It looks set to be a mostly dry day with sunny spells but cloud will increase during the afternoon and evening. Maximum temperatures of 17 to 21 degrees in moderate southeast winds. Wednesday night: Mostly cloudy on Wednesday night with a few patches of rain or drizzle in places at first but overall lots of dry weather. However, more persistent rain will arrive into the southwest and west soon after midnight before pushing northeastwards over the country. A mild and humid night with lowest temperatures generally not falling below 13 to 16 degrees in light to moderate southeast winds. Thursday: Cloudy and damp on Thursday with outbreaks of rain and drizzle. Drier and brighter weather will spread slowly across western areas during the afternoon but staying damp further east until evening time. Highest temperatures of 18 to 23 degrees in moderate to fresh southwest winds. Patchy rain looks set to clear from the east coast on Thursday evening to leave a mostly dry night with just a few showers in the west and northwest. Lowest temperatures of 11 to 14 degrees with moderate southwest winds. Friday: It looks set to be a bright day on Friday with sunny spells and scattered showers. Towards evening, it will turn overcast in the southwest and outbreaks of rain will spread from the Atlantic to affect west Munster. Highest temperatures of 18 to 21 degrees in moderate southwest winds. There'll be scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle across the country on Friday night. Lowest temperatures of 11 to 14 degrees in light southeast or variable breezes. Saturday: A mixed day on Saturday with widespread showers but there'll be spells of sunshine also. Maximum temperatures of 17 to 21 degrees with mostly light southerly breezes. Sunday: Early indications suggest that Sunday will be a bright day with sunny spells and just well-scattered showers. Maximum temperatures of 18 to 22 degrees in moderate northerly breezes. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
