Exceptionally warm summer in Finnmark

“That so many stations have set temperature records with such a wide margin in northern Norway is very unusual,” says Jostein Mamen, climate researcher with the Meteorological Institute. 

The institute has published an alarming overview of highest temperatures on record inside the Arctic Circle. 60 stations, mainly in northern Norway and at Svalbard, August saw the warmest ever measured. 

Warm summer days lasted all August along the coast to the Barents Sea, from Hammerfest in the west to Kirkenes in the east. The latter is now experiencing the warm weather to last into September with several days reaching maximum temperatures up to 20 degrees Celsius. 

Midnight Sun. Bøkfjorden, Finnmark. Photo: Thomas Nilsen

Neighbouring Murmansk region also had the warmest summer on record, news-outlet Hibiny reports. 

Lapland region in northernmost Finland saw record highs at most of the weather stations in June, July and August, according broadcaster YLE who reports with reference to the country’s meteorological service. Highest temperature was measured at Utsjoki on August 7 when the thermometer reached 28.4 degrees.