Environment. Northern Europe: An unprecedented heatwave amplified by climate change

Favored by vacationers seeking cool weather, northern Europe is no longer immune to heatwaves. Climate change has increased the temperature that hit the region by about 2°C, putting a strain on healthcare systems, ecosystems, and Sami reindeer herders in a region ill-equipped to cope with such events, the scientific network World Weather Attribution (WWA) said Thursday.

Finland, Norway and Sweden experienced exceptionally warm weather for two weeks in July, with temperatures exceeding 30°C, with Finland recording 22 consecutive days of temperatures above 30°C.

Overheated hospitals, forest fires...

The persistent heat has led to many fainting at outdoor events, saturated and overheated hospitals , caused forest fires, increased drownings and even pushed reindeer to seek shade in cities, according to the report by some 20 European researchers.

"Climate change has made the heatwave about 2°C warmer and at least 10 times more likely," they said. The heatwave has been amplified by the burning of fossil fuels, which releases carbon that contributes to global warming.

“Climate change is fundamentally transforming the world we live in,” Clair Barnes, a research fellow at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London, said in a statement. “Countries with cold climates like Norway, Sweden, and Finland are now experiencing unprecedented levels of heat,” she added.

The report's findings come as temperatures are expected to return to around 30°C in parts of the region on Thursday. The Nordic region is known for its cooler climate and is normally not exposed to high temperatures, if at all.

“Our aging population is increasingly vulnerable”

"Our infrastructure was not built to withstand these extreme temperatures, and our aging population is increasingly vulnerable to dangerous heat," warned Maja Vahlberg, a climate consultant for the Swedish Red Cross, quoted in the report. Buildings in the region are often well insulated but poorly ventilated, she explained during a press briefing.

The researchers also noted that these warmer temperatures threaten the livelihoods of Sami reindeer. They normally migrate to higher altitudes in the summer, but these areas are no longer true havens of coolness, exposing the animals to the heat and making it difficult to find food and water.

Warmer winters also bring more precipitation in the form of rain rather than snow, and successive freeze-thaw cycles form layers of ice that prevent reindeer from reaching lichen for food. The Arctic region is warming two to four times faster than other parts of the planet, according to several studies.