Scandinavia is shaking. Even Northern Europe is not used to such temperatures. Even train traffic is stopped because it could get too cold in the carriages.
Umeå – It is rarely this cold even in northern Europe: The sudden cold snap with freezing temperatures will probably remain in Scandinavia until Thursday, January 4th. Currently, according to the Swedish Meteorological Institute SMHI a high pressure area with extremely cold air over northeastern Sweden and northern Finland. In some regions it has not been as cold as this winter for years.
Record winter? Not so cold in some regions of Sweden for years
To give a few examples: In the cultural city of Umeå, which is located on Sweden's northeast coast, temperatures were recorded as low as they have not been for twelve years, and in the Swedish village of Nikkaluokta the cold record in the past few days was minus 41.6 degrees Celsius . Temperatures below minus 40 degrees Celsius were measured in three regions on Tuesday night.
The cold is now having consequences for train traffic in the north of the country. It had to be severely restricted and sometimes even stopped. It is simply too dangerous: According to the radio station SVT The railway company Vy is temporarily canceling all departures north of Umeå until Thursday, January 4th. The reason is the extreme cold in Sweden.
No replacement trains planned: Vy Tåg's managing director has another idea
Vy Tåg's managing director Christer Berglund has decided not to plan any replacement traffic. Travelers can rebook their trains or get their money back, Berglund assured. But he couldn't offer an alternative – for security reasons.
At temperatures below minus 35 degrees, there are significant safety risks along the route, he explains. If there were a power outage on the route, it would result in the carriages becoming much too cold. That would be far too great a risk for the passengers – one that Berglund didn't want to take.
From Thursday things will look up again: temperatures are expected to rise again
But the trains could soon be rolling again. According to forecasts from SMHI Temperatures are expected to rise again from Thursday, January 4th. (nhf)
Many people help themselves in frosty temperatures with a heater. With the temperatures in Scandinavia, even this heat pump wouldn't stand a chance.
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