Norway is in the grips of a severe heatwave
In July, extreme heat set new all-time records in northern parts of Norway, pushing temperatures over 30 degrees celsius (86℉).
Think of Norway and you probably picture pristine fjords, snow-capped mountains and decidedly chilly temperatures.
But this summer, you’re more likely to see tourists flocking to the the fjords in baking sunshine and bikinis.
Like many parts of the world, Norway has been gripped by a fierce heatwave.
WILDFIRES
The UK, Scandinavia, eastern Canada, parts of eastern Siberia and Japan have all experienced temperatures much higher than average.
In July, extreme heat set new all-time records in northern parts of Norway, pushing temperatures over 30 degrees celsius (86℉).
The Norwegian Meteorological office showed continued high temperatures up to 40 degrees celsius (105℉) in some areas for the beginning of August.
In these tinder-dry conditions, wildfires start very easily, and a prolonged drought and gusty winds have exacerbated the problem.
In May, the warmest on record, the fire service was battling several outbreaks in up to 1,000 acres.
In July, forest fires severely disrupted rail services.
FISHING PROHIBITED
The ongoing drought has seen waterways dry up and forced one of the country’s most popular salmon fishing rivers to close.
For the first time in 70 years, the Gaula river is closed to fishing until further notice with rising water temperatures and shrinking water levels meaning the salmon are struggling to get upstream.
THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME
The Norwegian Meteorological Office warns that the country will become hotter over time.
The average temperature has increased by one degree since 1900, and by half a degree in the last 15 years alone. If the trend continues, it expects temperatures to have risen by 4.5 degrees by the end of the century. It also expects to see more heatwaves.
“At present we are increasingly seeing new temperature and precipitation records being set, and it is not unrealistic that we could get up to 40 degrees in a couple of places in the summer of 2050,” says meteorologist Bente Wahl.
Written by Alex Gray, Formative Content.
This article was republished courtesy of the World Economic Forum.
More in World
-
'Air Cocaine' smuggling trial starts in France
-
White House gets report that could trigger auto tariffs
-
Critics urge Presidents Day protests against Trump's emergency declaration
-
Porsche warns of Brexit price hike on UK cars
-
France snubs Trump's appeal to repatriate Isis fighters en masse, for now
-
UK plans to make plastic packaging producers pay for waste disposal
Comments
EWN welcomes all comments that are constructive, contribute to discussions in a meaningful manner and take stories forward.
comments powered by DisqusHowever, we will NOT condone the following:
- Racism (including offensive comments based on ethnicity and nationality)
- Sexism
- Homophobia
- Religious intolerance
- Cyber bullying
- Hate speech
- Derogatory language
- Comments inciting violence.
We ask that your comments remain relevant to the articles they appear on and do not include general banter or conversation as this dilutes the effectiveness of the comments section.
We strive to make the EWN community a safe and welcoming space for all.
EWN reserves the right to: 1) remove any comments that do not follow the above guidelines; and, 2) ban users who repeatedly infringe the rules.
Should you find any comments upsetting or offensive you can also flag them and we will assess it against our guidelines.
EWN is constantly reviewing its comments policy in order to create an environment conducive to constructive conversations.