Finland and Sweden set coldest winter records as temperatures plummet below -40 degrees Celsius

The thermometer in Nikkalokta, a small indigenous Sami village in northern Sweden, read -41.6 degrees Celsius (-42.8 degrees Fahrenheit) early Tuesday morning, Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported.

“Temperatures are the coldest so far this winter and will continue to be quite cold in the north,” SVT meteorologist Nils Holmqvist said.

Swedish railway operators say the cold snap is causing major problems for rail traffic in the north. The Swedish Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology reported that temperatures reached -30 degrees Celsius (-22 degrees Fahrenheit) in several places in northern Sweden.

It also issued a snow and wind warning for south-central Sweden, saying Wednesday’s combination of snow and wind could cause problems. The second highest alert applies from midnight until Wednesday.

In neighboring Finland, the coldest winter record was recorded in the northwestern town of Ilibieska, with temperatures dropping to -37.8 degrees Celsius (-36 degrees Celsius) early Tuesday.

Temperatures below -30 degrees Celsius were recorded in some places in the Lapland region of the Arctic Circle. Finland’s capital Helsinki has also been hit by a cold wave, with temperatures expected to remain between -15C and -20C throughout this week.

The Finnish Meteorological Institute has issued a warning that significant cold air is prevailing in the country this week, with predicted temperatures potentially exceeding -40 degrees Celsius in parts of the country.

Police announced on X news agency that part of the E18 motorway in southern Norway was closed due to weather-related conditions.

A key bridge in Denmark has been closed to vehicles carrying light trailers due to strong winds that could affect driving, the Danish Roads Agency said. ___

Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed to this report.