Helsinki — Finland and Sweden recorded the coldest temperatures of the winter on Tuesday, with thermometers plummeting to -40 degrees Celsius (-40 degrees Fahrenheit) as a cold wave swept through northern Europe.
The cold and snow has disrupted transport across the region, with Norway’s main highways in the south closed due to the weather and ferry companies suspended. Sweden’s railway operator said the cold wave had caused serious problems for rail traffic north of the Arctic Circle.
Temperatures in Nikkarokta, a small indigenous Sami village in northern Sweden, recorded -41.6 degrees Celsius (-42.8 degrees Celsius) early Tuesday, 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.
The Swedish Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology reported temperatures of -30C (-22C) in several places in northern Sweden and issued a snow and wind warning for south-central Sweden. The second highest alert applies from midnight until Wednesday.
In neighboring Finland, the coldest winter record was set in the northwestern town of Ilibieska, with temperatures dropping to -37.8 degrees Celsius (-36 degrees Celsius) early Tuesday morning, and forecasters predicting temperatures will rise in some parts of the country throughout the week. He said temperatures would drop below -40 degrees Celsius. .
Temperatures in Finland’s capital Helsinki were expected to hover between -15 degrees Celsius and minus 20 degrees Celsius (about 0 degrees Fahrenheit).
Schools in the southern Norwegian town of Arendal will be closed on Wednesday because sidewalks cannot be cleared of snow in time for children to get to school, authorities said.
Danish authorities said strong winds had closed major bridges to vehicles carrying light trailers, and several ferry companies in the region had canceled crossings, including ferries bound for Denmark from southern Norway.
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Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed to this report.