Heat wave hits circumpolar north

SIKU CIRCUMPOLAR NEWS SERVICE

Residents of northern Norway and Finland have been sweltering this summer during one of the hottest seasons on record.

The Norwegian coastal town of Bergen has had its warmest summer since 1925, with an average July temperature of 18 degrees Celsius. So much warmth built up in Norway during July that more “tropenetter” (tropical nights) are in the cards, says the Aftenposten newspaper.

Norwegians categorize a “tropical night” as one in which the temperature doesn’t go below 20 C . There have been 24 of them so far this summer.

Meanwhile, the water in Alta, Norway, a seaside town far above the Arctic Circle, has acquired a bright turquoise colour, similar to the colour usually seen in tropical waters. Researchers attribute the phenomenon to tiny plankton plants that have multiplied in the hot weather.

In Finland, there have been only a couple of cool days since a heat wave began in mid-July. Last week, temperatures rose to more than 30 C in many parts of Finland. July recorded 18 consecutive days of temperatures above 25 C.

The heat wave has had some negative consequences – more than 45 people have died from drowning.

Two weeks ago a tramway driver in the capital city of Helsinki was overcome by the heat, then passed out and collided with a motorcycle. The motorcyclist was killed, and the tram derailed and crashed into the wall of a major downtown department store.

Dr. Juha Alihanka of Helsinki’s Sleep Clinic recommended some tricks to help people get to sleep in hot weather:

“I would not consider a couple of cold beers and sex a bad idea,” he told the Helsingin Sanomat.