June has been unusually warm in Sweden. But now the midsummer heat is disappearing and being replaced by cooler air and rain showers – at least temporarily. Already by the weekend, the temperature could start creeping up again.
– We are clearly above normal, says SVT meteorologist Per Stenborg.
After the recent heatwave across large parts of the country, a cooler period is now expected.
– It's really on the way out for southern Sweden. Most of it will be pushed away tomorrow, although there might be a little warmth left over Gotland and Skåne. Otherwise, it's temporarily cooler air that has taken over Norrland and is moving down over southern Sweden, says SVT's meteorologist Per Stenberg.
Rain showers are also expected across the country, mainly in southern Sweden. However, even the coasts, which are normally spared from precipitation more than inland areas, should expect rain.
"It will mostly be showers. And as always with showers, they can fall very unevenly, so there might be isolated spots that don't get a drop at all," says Per Stenborg.
”Clearly above normal”
Rain is welcome, according to Per Stenberg. And especially in southern Götaland. So far this year, the summer has been unusually warm with periods of temperatures over 30 degrees in several parts of the country.
– If you look at the whole of June, which has been partly record-breakingly warm in the Baltic region, we are clearly above average. Above all, we had a heatwave that was very exceptional for being so early in the summer. Now we are in the middle of summer and then we get warmer periods. Then we can get close to 30 degrees, that is not unusual, he says.
”The heat is returning”
But the heat could return as early as the weekend.
Starting on Thursday, temperatures are expected to creep upwards in northern Norrland and then spread downwards across the country.
– The warmth will make a slight comeback on Thursday, starting from the north. Locally, temperatures could reach up to 30 degrees in northern Norrland towards the end of the weekend. The warmth will build up day by day if the sun and heat continue for a few days, says Per Stenborg.
Both the USA and Canada have recently experienced extreme temperatures.
Hot summer predicted
According to SVT's meteorologist Nitzan Cohen, this is likely due to, as well as the high temperatures in Sweden and Northern Europe, how rain showers move in the tropics in combination with atmospheric pressure at our latitudes, and what is happening over the Arctic.
– The entire interaction is what determines where it gets very hot and not as hot, he says.
For Sweden, the warmth looks set to linger throughout the summer.
– It depends on what happens in the tropics. But there is a chance, or risk if you want to call it that, that we will be in a relatively warm air mass for quite some time, says Nitzan Cohen.
Source: SVT
