Finland and Sweden have recently experienced their coldest temperatures of the winter, with weather that has been as frigid as minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 Fahrenheit). As a result of this cold spell gripping the Nordic region, transportation has been disrupted throughout the area. In Norway, a major highway in the south was closed due to the weather, and ferry lines have also suspended operations.
The extreme cold snap caused substantial problems for rail traffic in the Arctic north of Sweden, with Swedish train operators reporting disruptions. Furthermore, temperatures fell to as low as minus 41.6 degrees Celsius (minus 42.8 Fahrenheit) in Nikkaluokta, a small village inhabited by indigenous Sami people in northern Sweden. SVT meteorologist Nils Holmqvist stated that it was the coldest temperature recorded so far this winter, and that cold weather would continue in the north.
The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute reported temperatures of minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit) in several locations in northern Sweden. In Finland, temperatures in the northwestern town of Ylivieska fell to minus 37.8 degrees Celsius (minus 36 Fahrenheit), and forecasters said temperatures could be lower than minus 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the nation through the week.
In the Finnish capital, Helsinki, temperatures were expected to hover between minus 15 and minus 20 degrees Celsius (around zero Fahrenheit). In the southern Norway town of Arendal, schools were closed due to an inability to clear the sidewalks in time for children to get to school. Ferry companies throughout the region also canceled crossings, and a key bridge in Denmark was closed to vehicles with light trailers because of strong winds.