Town in Arctic Circle matches Miami's highest temperature this year
By
Adam Douty, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jul 7, 2021 6:23 PM EDT
|
Updated Jul 11, 2021 3:53 PM EDT
The cities of Banak, Norway, and Utsjoki, Finland, are shown on a map depicting warm conditions on July 7, 2021.
AccuWeather
Exceptional warmth has seeped well into the Arctic Circle in the northernmost parts of Norway and Finland this week -- areas that are typically locked in ice and snow for a large portion of the year.
Banak, Norway, reached a high of 94 F (34.3 C) on Monday which was a record for the site, according to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. This was flanked by highs of 93 F (33.7 C) on Sunday and 89 F (31.7 C) on Tuesday.
The Norwegian city climbed to 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) on Wednesday. The normal high temperature in Banak during the beginning of July is around 62 F (17 C).
Temperatures of this level are more typically seen in lower (more southern) latitudes. In fact, the high of 94 F (34.3 C) on Monday matched the highest temperature recorded in Miami, Florida, so far this year.
"An unusually strong ridge of high pressure stretched far to the north and across Scandinavia early this week, which caused the exceptional warmth," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Tony Zartman.
The hot conditions also spread into northern Finland where Kevo, a remote outpost near the village of Utsjoki, recorded highs of 91 F (32.8 C) or higher for three days in a row from Sunday to Tuesday.
A high of 92 F (33.5 C) in Kevo on Monday was the second hottest temperature ever recorded in Lapland, the northernmost region in Finland. The highest temperature was 95 F (34.7) that was reached in 1914, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
Average temperatures in Helsinki are running about 8 degrees F (4-5 degrees C) above normal for the month of July so far. This follows a record-setting June for the Finnish capital. The average temperature for the month reached 67 F (19.3 C), the highest in recorded history.
The unusual warmth has led to rapid melting of the Arctic sea ice. The level of sea ice extent is currently among the lowest on record for this time of year, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said.
While the ridge of high pressure that led to the heat has shifted into eastern Europe, temperatures will remain much higher than normal across the region, according to Zartman.
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"The ridge of high pressure is bringing hot conditions all the way from the Balkans northward to the Baltics," Zartman said.
This recent heat wave across northern and eastern Europe comes after the continent set the record for the second hottest June on record, according to the WMO.
During the record-setting June, much of Europe endured a stretch of intense heat. Moscow tied an all-time record high when it reached 94.5 degrees F (34.7 degrees C) on June 21. That record had been in place since 1901.
"As this ridge of high pressure gradually weakens over the weekend, the hot conditions are expected to subside across eastern Europe," said Zartman.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms will also develop in parts of the region, though rainfall will likely not be heavy nor widespread enough to bring improvements in the drought that has been plaguing southern and eastern Europe since June.
Thunderstorms produced around 30,000 lightning strikes across Scandinavia on Thursday, according to the Met Éireann.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
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News / Weather News
Town in Arctic Circle matches Miami's highest temperature this year
By Adam Douty, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jul 7, 2021 6:23 PM EDT | Updated Jul 11, 2021 3:53 PM EDT
The cities of Banak, Norway, and Utsjoki, Finland, are shown on a map depicting warm conditions on July 7, 2021.
Exceptional warmth has seeped well into the Arctic Circle in the northernmost parts of Norway and Finland this week -- areas that are typically locked in ice and snow for a large portion of the year.
Banak, Norway, reached a high of 94 F (34.3 C) on Monday which was a record for the site, according to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. This was flanked by highs of 93 F (33.7 C) on Sunday and 89 F (31.7 C) on Tuesday.
The Norwegian city climbed to 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) on Wednesday. The normal high temperature in Banak during the beginning of July is around 62 F (17 C).
Temperatures of this level are more typically seen in lower (more southern) latitudes. In fact, the high of 94 F (34.3 C) on Monday matched the highest temperature recorded in Miami, Florida, so far this year.
"An unusually strong ridge of high pressure stretched far to the north and across Scandinavia early this week, which caused the exceptional warmth," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Tony Zartman.
The hot conditions also spread into northern Finland where Kevo, a remote outpost near the village of Utsjoki, recorded highs of 91 F (32.8 C) or higher for three days in a row from Sunday to Tuesday.
A high of 92 F (33.5 C) in Kevo on Monday was the second hottest temperature ever recorded in Lapland, the northernmost region in Finland. The highest temperature was 95 F (34.7) that was reached in 1914, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
Average temperatures in Helsinki are running about 8 degrees F (4-5 degrees C) above normal for the month of July so far. This follows a record-setting June for the Finnish capital. The average temperature for the month reached 67 F (19.3 C), the highest in recorded history.
The unusual warmth has led to rapid melting of the Arctic sea ice. The level of sea ice extent is currently among the lowest on record for this time of year, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said.
While the ridge of high pressure that led to the heat has shifted into eastern Europe, temperatures will remain much higher than normal across the region, according to Zartman.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
"The ridge of high pressure is bringing hot conditions all the way from the Balkans northward to the Baltics," Zartman said.
This recent heat wave across northern and eastern Europe comes after the continent set the record for the second hottest June on record, according to the WMO.
During the record-setting June, much of Europe endured a stretch of intense heat. Moscow tied an all-time record high when it reached 94.5 degrees F (34.7 degrees C) on June 21. That record had been in place since 1901.
"As this ridge of high pressure gradually weakens over the weekend, the hot conditions are expected to subside across eastern Europe," said Zartman.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms will also develop in parts of the region, though rainfall will likely not be heavy nor widespread enough to bring improvements in the drought that has been plaguing southern and eastern Europe since June.
Thunderstorms produced around 30,000 lightning strikes across Scandinavia on Thursday, according to the Met Éireann.
Related:
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo