Record-Breaking Heatwave in Northern Europe Exceeds Previous Longest by 50% Since 1961
Lack of Air Conditioning Leads to Overcrowded Emergency Rooms
Northern European countries, which are not accustomed to extreme heat, are experiencing an unusual heatwave this year. Some regions have recorded the longest heatwave since observations began.
As a result, concerns are growing that extreme temperature anomalies caused by climate change are also affecting Northern Europe.
On August 2 (local time), Yonhap News quoted The Guardian, reporting that at a weather observation station in the Arctic Circle of Norway, temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius for 13 days during the month of July.
In Jokkmokk and Haparanda in northern Sweden, the heatwave lasted for 15 days and 14 days, respectively. In Finland, temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius persisted for three consecutive weeks. This figure exceeds the previous longest heatwave recorded in Northern Europe since data collection began in 1961 by as much as 50%.
Sverker Hellstrom, a scientist at the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, said, "You would have to go back 100 years to find a heatwave of this magnitude."
This heatwave in Northern Europe was caused by high atmospheric pressure and unusually high sea surface temperatures in the North Sea. As a result, temperatures were 8 to 10 degrees Celsius higher than average. Consequently, there have also been weather anomalies such as wildfires, storms, and lightning.
Because air conditioning is not commonly used in Northern Europe, it is difficult for people to adapt to such sudden high temperatures. In Finland, hospital emergency rooms were crowded with heat-related patients, and an ice rink was opened to citizens seeking relief from the heat. Reindeer herders have reported damage to their animals caused by heat stress.
The BBC reported on July 25 that in Santa Village in Lapland, northern Finland, relevant teams were instructed, "Make sure to provide enough water for the reindeer and have them drink a glass every hour."
In recent years, Northern Europe has been a popular destination for tourists seeking a "coolcation." However, even tourists are now adjusting their travel plans due to the current heatwave.
Heikki Tuomenvirta of the Finnish Meteorological Institute warned, "In the future, heatwaves will become more frequent, longer, and more intense, and Northern Europe does not have the existing infrastructure to cope with this."
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