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Unexpected subzero temperatures force flight cancellations and halt ski operations as scientists link the cold snap to shifting climate patterns.
A large number of tourists were left stranded in northern Finland due to an unexpected spell of extreme cold weather. Warning alerts for severe cold have been issued in large parts of the country this week, with temperatures dropping far below the expected figures.
This led to the cancellation of a series of flights at the Kittilä Airport, which is one of the major entrance points into the popular ski resorts in Finland. This is a period when the airport is normally most active. However, the low temperatures, which were hazardous, have led to the cancellation of the activities. Other activities were also halted at the nearby ski resorts. This is due to the drop in temperatures below -30°C.
As per the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), the temperatures observed in Kittilä were likely to be around −40° C, which is an unusually low level despite the country’s usual low temperatures, especially during winter. This marked severe weather compared to the usual seasonal changes.
The cold weather is linked to a larger pattern of winter weather in certain parts of Europe. However, climate researchers argue that while this level of cold weather does occur, it does not go against the trend of global warming. Current data shows that November was the second warmest on record in Europe, while Finland has recorded one of its warmest autumns ever.
Scientists propose that the increased warming in the Arctic region can also weaken and alter the path of the jet stream, resulting in the outflow of chilly air from the region. This is associated with the cooling snap that occurs while the global temperatures continue to rise.
However, researchers warn that simply concentrating on cold events in the short-term might cause people to miss the overall fact of climate change and its increasing impacts on weather patterns around the world.
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