A Europe‑wide heatwave kept temperatures above 30 °C for over three weeks, endangering lives and ecosystems across the Nordic countries. Climate‑change scientists explain why this unprecedented heat has emerged in the far north.
This summer brought unprecedented heatwaves to the far north. It was not only an exceptionally long period with temperatures above 30 °C—22 days in Finland—but also similar heat bursts beyond the Arctic Circle. In the land of reindeers and Santa Claus such weather is unheard of. It is now clear that climate change is responsible.
Scientists from World Weather Attribution, an organization specializing in the impact of global warming on specific weather events, studied this phenomenon. They previously demonstrated that climate change intensified the downpours that caused last year’s flood in southern Poland (see https://next.gazeta.pl/next/7,172392,31329810,naukowy-potwierdzili-wplyw-zmiany-klimatu-na-powodzie-w-polsce.html).
Climate change and heat in the Far North
Its latest analysis shows that the heatwave in the Nordic countries is a result of climate change. The probability of such an event was at least ten times higher than in a “normal” climate that would not have been altered by human activity. The heat was, on average, two degrees Celsius higher.
According to scientists’ calculations
If we fail to curb global warming, such heatwaves will become routine. By the end of this century they could occur up to five times more frequently (see https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/Razem#anchorLink). Within under a decade the probability of such a long heatwave has already more than doubled.
Researcher from the Environmental Policy Center at Imperial College London
The study’s co‑author highlighted the impacts of extreme weather: the strain on healthcare systems and animal disorientation, such as reindeers observed seeking shade in urban areas.
Heat as one of the deadliest extreme events
Driven by global warming, heat is often called the “silent killer.” While floods and hurricanes attract attention, heat can be far more lethal, especially for seniors and people with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions. Fatalities can occur in overheated homes, and excess deaths during heatwaves reveal the deadly hidden toll.
Heatwave in Sweden 2018
When Sweden was hit by a heatwave in 2018, roughly 750 excess deaths were recorded over five weeks from early July, the study’s authors note.
Hospitals in Finland this year
Finnish hospitals reported a surge in patients, particularly seniors and children, during heatwaves. One facility admitted three times as many patients as usual for that period, straining the system. In Norway cooling systems failed, pushing indoor temperatures above 30 °C and harming both patients and staff (see https://yle.fi/a/74-20174354, https://www.tv2.no/nyheter/innenriks/matte-avlyse-operasjoner-og-si-nei-til-fodende-tortur/17935597/).
Stopping climate change
Heatwaves and other climate impacts will continue as long as greenhouse gases are emitted. Rapid transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is the only way to slow—and hopefully halt—warming, stressed Dr. Barnes.
Adaptation is also essential
We must adapt to the heatwaves we cannot avoid. The planet’s average temperature has risen by 1.3 °C, and by around 2030 we will exceed 1.5 °C, bringing more deadly heat. Measures range from cooling homes to greening public spaces to raising public awareness.
Environmental protection cannot be ignored
Climate change harms animals, plants, and ecosystems. In the Nordic countries, wildlife shifts northward, forests deteriorate, and toxic algal blooms appear in water bodies (see https://next.gazeta.pl/next/7,172392,29875003,byla-kopalnia-wegla-bedzie-wielkie-jezioro-o-funkcjach-rekreacyjno-rolniczo-atomowych.html#anchorLink).
Economic consequences
Algal blooms earlier this year killed at least a million salmon in Norwegian farms (see https://www.intrafish.com/salmon/algal-bloom-spread-kills-up-to-1-million-fish-in-norway/2-1-1821213).
