Helsinki: Finland and Sweden recorded the coldest temperatures of the winter Tuesday as thermometers plummeted to minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 Fahrenheit) as a result of a cold spell prevailing in the Nordic region.
In Nikkaluokta, a small village inhabited by the indigenous Sami people in northern Sweden, thermometer showed minus 41.6 degrees (minus 42.8 Fahrenheit) early Tuesday, Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported.
“It’s the coldest temperature we have had so far this winter, and it will continue to be quite cold weather in the north,” said SVT meteorologist Nils Holmqvist.
Train operators in Sweden said the cold snap has caused substantial problems for rail traffic in the north, among other issues. The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute has reported temperatures of minus 30 degrees (minus 22 Fahrenheit) in several locations in northern Sweden.
It also issued a warning for snow and wind for central and southern Sweden, saying snowfall on Wednesday in combination with wind can cause problems.