Latest news with #Lapland
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Father Christmas' official Lapland home suffers unseasonal heatwave with 31C temperatures and wildfire fears
Father Christmas ' official home village in Lapland has suffered a record-breaking heatwave, as fears mount that wildfires will ravage the area with increasing frequency. The Arctic city of Rovaniemi in northern Finland, Lapland's capital and home to Santa Claus, has been melting amid unprecedented heat in the region. Lapland, which is 500km above the Arctic Circle, has seen temperatures soar to 31C, more than 10C above the seasonal average. The level of consistent heat has never been experienced in the region before and reindeer have even been forced to flee into roads and villages to escape mosquitos. A heatwave in Finland is defined as at least three days in a row where the temperature exceeds 25C. Friday was the 14th consecutive day that temperatures climbed past 30C in the country - the first time since record began in 1961, the Finnish Meteorological Institute said. Ylitornio and Sodankylä recorded the highest temperatures of 31.7C in Lapland earlier this week, while wildfires have ripped through the wilderness north of Rovaniemi. Lapland is a sparsely populated region and fires can burn for long periods before help arrives. But emergency services responded to dozens of incidents this week, including smoke sightings, building fires, and wildfires. Some schools and nurseries have seen outdoor activities cancelled and health officials have told people to stay hydrated in Rovaniemi. The excessively hot weather has sparked added concern about climate change in the Arctic. The polar region is heating up five times quicker than the global average, the UNs intergovernmental panel on climate change said. 'Due to climate change, these sorts of heatwaves in Lapland are expected to become longer and more intensive over this century, Ville Siiskonen, of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, told The Telegraph. Finland is not alone in feeling the heat as scorching temperatures continue to boil Europe, with two people dying in Cyprus as wildfires raged through the country. The Acropolis in Athens was also closed as temperatures soared past 40C. Meanwhile, England and Spain recorded their hottest ever June's last month. The Met Office said June's mean temperature of 16.9C was a record,while Spain's average of 23.6C 'pulverised records', the national weather service Aemet said.
Gizmodo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Gizmodo
Reindeer Flee to Cities as the Arctic Bakes in Unprecedented Heatwave
For two straight weeks, Finland has been roasting under record-high temperatures. The country is facing its most intense and persistent heatwave in its recorded history, which has brought beach weather to towns above the Arctic Circle. Friday marked the 14th consecutive day that at least one part of Finland reached a temperature above 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Local weather stations across the country have also reported record-shattering temperatures. Only some parts of Lapland, in the northernmost region of Finland, were spared the record-breaking heat. The heatwave comes as the Arctic is warming at four to five times the pace of the rest of the world, with Finland and other Nordic countries seeing increases in the annual air temperature that exceed the global average. In Finland, mean annual temperatures are projected to rise by up to 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit (3.5 degrees Celsius) by 2050. Finland typically sees temperatures ranging from 59 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (15 tio 20 degrees Celsius) in July, its hottest month. 'The last time Finnish Lapland had a similarly long heatwave was in 1972,' Jaakko Savela, a meteorologist at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, told BBC News. That heatwave only lasted 12 to 14 days, depending on the exact location. 'That record has now been broken.' Finland's official heatwave threshold is three days with highs over 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius). The heatwave has left much of the country's surface soil parched, prompting the Meteorological Institute to issue wildfire warnings across large areas. Air conditioner sales have surged. Even the country's famed reindeer are feeling the heat, and many have reportedly fled into cities in search of cooler temperatures and water, the BBC reports. A slow-moving high-pressure system lingering over northern Europe is to blame for the sweltering heat, and a severe high-temperature warning is still in effect for most of Finland. That's expected to change Saturday, when thunderstorms are forecasted to hit large swaths of the country, although temperatures could still reach as high as 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius). Warm temperatures are expected to persist into next week but likely won't be nearly as high. The warmest temperatures in the nation, a balmy 90 degrees (31.7 degrees Celsius), were recorded in Ylitornia and Sodankylä, both in Lapland, earlier this week. That's roughly 18 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) warmer than the region usually gets. The heat wave has prompted renewed concerns about the impact of climate change on the world's colder regions. Savela notes that this heatwave was not caused by climate change, but global warming has led to increased temperatures. 'Climate change has had an impact: without it, temperatures over the last two weeks would have been lower,' he told the BBC. Even Father Christmas himself, who resides in Santa Claus Village, a theme park in Rovaniemi, Lapland's capital, had to remind his elves to stay hydrated, according to the BBC.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Climate
- Telegraph
Santa Claus village is melting in heatwave
The official home town of Father Christmas has been hit with a record-breaking heatwave, stoking fears that wildfires that have swept across Lapland will become more frequent. The Arctic city of Rovaniemi in northern Finland – usually associated with snow and the winter holidays – has been melting in the hot weather. Temperatures in Lapland, a region that crowns the tip of Norway and where it snows for seven months a year, have been hitting highs of 31C, more than 10C higher than the seasonal average. Ville Siiskonen, of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, said that while temperatures above 30C were unusual – 'a once in 10-year event' – the length of the heatwave was exceptional. 'For 15 consecutive days, the daily maximum temperature has exceeded 25C. This is the longest since records began in the early 1960s,' he told The Telegraph. The previous record was set in 1972 when a heatwave lasted 14 days. The extreme heat is expected to last till early next week. The highest temperature of the heatwave, 31.7C, was recorded at two locations, Ylitornio and Sodankylä, earlier this week. However, the hot weather has led to renewed concern over the fast pace of climate change in the Arctic, which is warming up to five times faster than the global average, according to the UN's intergovernmental panel on climate change. 'Due to climate change, these sorts of heatwaves in Lapland are expected to become longer and more intensive over this century,' Mr Siiskonen said. Emergency services have also been dealing with several dozen fast-spreading wildfires in the wilderness further north of Rovaniemi this week. Due to the size and remoteness of Lapland, fires often burn for long stretches before firefighters can arrive on the scene. Finnish authorities have warned the population that the risk of wildfires remains high. In Rovaniemi, schools and nurseries have cancelled some outdoor activities, authorities have told residents to check on their elderly neighbours and health officials are warning people of the need to stay hydrated. Despite the limited chaos, Sanna Kärkkäinen, managing director of Visit Rovaniemi, said that the heat has not affected the city's most popular tourist destination. 'The weather has certainly surprised locals and tourists,' she told The Telegraph, but the Santa Claus Village, where visitors can meet the man himself, 'remains open seven days a week'. Lapland's reindeer, with their thick coats, are suffering in the heat and are also being attacked by mosquitoes. The animals, which mostly roam freely, have been trying to move to higher ground or travel into villages or to the beach in search of relief. Toivo Koivu, a resident of Rovaniemi who has just finished travelling through southern Europe, said he was shocked to return to such heat. 'We thought that when we would come back to Finland it would be cooler, like normally, but no, it was the same weather as down south,' Mr Koivu told Reuters. It comes as other parts of Europe this summer have been gripped with heatwaves and wildfires. In June – which was the hottest June on record globally – authorities in Spain, Portugal, Greece and France were forced to issue extreme heat warnings as temperatures went above 42C.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Tui launch day trip to Finland's Lapland despite climate concerns
Tui has launched new "Search for Santa" day trips to Kittila, Finland, offering families the chance to meet Santa and return home on the same day. Priced from £750 per person, the package includes return flights with in-flight meals (full English breakfast and Christmas dinner), thermal clothing, a hot lunch, and activities like reindeer sleigh rides and husky adventures. These festive trips are scheduled between 5 and 23 December, departing from 11 UK airports as part of Tui's Winter 2026 programme. Anna Hughes, director of Flight Free UK, criticised the extreme day trips, expressing concern over their environmental impact due to increased flight emissions. Hughes noted that such trips contribute to climate change, directly affecting Lapland's snowfall, and suggested sleeper trains as a more sustainable alternative for similar experiences.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Tui launch ‘Search for Santa' day trip to Lapland amid concerns over impact on climate
Tui has launched an extreme day trip to Lapland with travellers flown to and from Finland in just one day. The 'Search for Santa' experience in Kittila, Finland, promises families the 'chance to meet the real Santa Claus' but to be back in 'your own bed the same night'. Included in the package are Lapland transfers, return flights with in-flight meals, thermal clothing and a hot lunch in Santa's Village – starting from £750 per person. Direct 'Search for Santa' flights depart between 5 and 23 December from 11 UK airports as part of Tui 's Winter 2026 schedule. Departure airports for the 'festive adventure' include Bournemouth, Newcastle, London Stansted, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin, London Gatwick, East Midlands Airport and Bristol. A traditional English breakfast is served in-flight before landing in Kittila to pick up snowsuit and boots. From there, families can part in activities such as a reindeer sleigh ride, a husky adventure or a snowmobiling session. A skidoo to a private meeting with Santa, and a fireside hot berry juice, are also included on the jam-packed itinerary before elves transfer travellers back to the airport. Then, of course, passengers can enjoy a full Christmas dinner on the flight back home. Chris Logan, commercial director at Tui UK, said: "Our much-loved festive 'Search for Santa' day trips are back, and we're making it easier than ever for families across the UK to experience the magic of Lapland.' With whistle-stop travels on the rise, climate campaigners aren't sold on the pitstop package to Santa's hometown. Anna Hughes, director of Flight Free UK, told The Independent that the growing trend in extreme day trips is 'very worrying for the climate'. She said: 'In terms of emissions, it doesn't actually matter how long you spend in your destination, but taking short journeys such as day trips to far-flung places encourages more frequent travel than if you were staying for a longer holiday. This means many more flights are being taken overall.' The environmental campaigner added that day trips to Lapland 'feel in especially bad taste' as flight emissions will 'directly contribute to damaging the place you are going to see'. Hughes explained: 'Lapland has been struggling with snowfall for many years; a direct result of climate change caused by our rising emissions.' The area has been hit by an intense heatwave in the past fortnight, with temperatures around 10C above the seasonal average 'If you still want to experience the 'extreme day trips' trend, sleeper trains can help: it's possible to leave work one evening, wake up in somewhere like Berlin or Prague the next morning, and return later that day on another night train. It means you can still explore the world but for a fraction of the emissions.'
