Heatwaves have hit Norway, Sweden, Finland and even the Arctic Circle this summer, with Finland recording a record run of 22 days above 30C.
Effects of this year's heatwave include toxic algal blooms in lakes and the Baltic Sea, overheated hospitals cancelling surgeries, and a spate of wildfires. "Tropical nights" are a particular threat to an ageing population and anyone with underlying health conditions. The last major heatwave in the Nordic region, in 2018, was linked to 750 deaths in Sweden alone and the data, once processed, is likely to reveal a similar toll for 2025.
"Even relatively cold Scandinavian countries are facing dangerous heatwaves today with 1.3C of warming," Professor Friederike Otto, a climatologist at Imperial College London, told The Guardian . "No country is safe