Heatwave sparks fears of wildfires in large parts of Sweden
It’s only mid-May but the mini heatwave has left large areas of Sweden bone-dry, leading to firefighters issuing a ban on public fires in several areas.
The high temperatures and lack of rain has increased the risk of forest and grass fires in many areas. Firefighters on Tuesday issued alerts for the central regions of Eskilstuna, Strängnäs, Västerås, Hallstahammar and Surahammar, adding to the list of places where people should exercise extreme caution when lighting fires outdoors.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Feds announce funding to tackle climate change in Inuit region of Atlantic Canada, Radio Canada International
Finland: Northern Finland braces for worst spring floods in decades, YLE News
Norway: As Arctic weather dramatically changes, world meteorologists take on more joint forecasting, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Record heatwave in the Arctic, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Swedish rivers overflow as heatwave melts northern snow, Radio Sweden
United States: Alaska’s firefighters are ready for wildfire season, Alaska Public Media
