Already on Saturday widespread, partly persistent rain, Austria will be cloudy with rain or snow. On Sunday's Epiphany night, temperatures will drop across the country and snowfall is expected in most parts of the country.
It will be cold at the start of the week, with permafrost in many areas and continued snow in some areas, for example in Upper and Lower Austria and Styria. Expected maximum values are usually only between minus nine and minus one degrees, with up to plus two degrees in East Tyrol and Carinthia.
Minus 43.6 degrees in Sweden
The Swedish Meteorological Institute SMHI reported on Wednesday X (Twitter) that minus 43.6 degrees Celsius was measured in the northern Swedish town of Kvikkjokk in Lapland. In the northeastern city of Umea, the temperature dropped to minus 30.7 degrees Celsius, a twelve-year low. Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported that all passenger trains to northern Umeå have been suspended until Thursday due to the risk of extreme cold.
The Swedish Meteorological Agency described a cold wave with a high pressure area over northeastern Sweden and northern Finland. “This is the lowest temperature we've had so far this winter, and it will continue to be cold in the north,” SVT meteorologist Nils Holmqvist said. However, the cold still did not come close to the Swedish cold record – in February 1966 the thermometer fell to minus 52.6 degrees at the official weather station in Vukkatjalm.
All of Finland shivered in temperatures below minus 20 degrees
Foggy weather also continues in neighboring Finland: according to meteorologists there, temperatures ranged from minus 20 to minus 35 degrees across the country on Wednesday morning.
Avalanche accident due to cold in Pallastunduri mountain range in Finnish region of Lapland: A woman and her minor child were trapped in an avalanche while skiing on Tuesday, according to the police in charge. The mother was found dead in the evening and the child was still missing on Wednesday. At the time of the accident, the temperature was minus 23 degrees with strong winds.
Passengers had to spend the night on the boat
On Wednesday night, around 900 passengers had to spend the night on a ferry between Oslo and Copenhagen due to stormy weather. Due to wind conditions, the ferry was only able to dock in Copenhagen in the morning.
More than a meter of snow in two days caused major disruption in Arendal, southern Norway. Schools and kindergartens were closed, mail delivery and garbage collection stopped. In Christiansund, officials advised residents to stay home and work from home if possible.
Traffic jam in Denmark
Up to 50 centimeters of snow fell in some places in Denmark on Thursday. The Danish Meteorological Agency reported that the snowfall was the highest in 13 years. On the E45 highway around Aarhus and Randers, there were sometimes more than 30 kilometers of traffic jams. Many vehicles have not run for more than 20 hours. Traffic was snarled following Wednesday's lorry accident. Danish police have called on motorists in the area to abandon their cars due to the difficult weather.
