Finland and Sweden recorded their coldest temperatures of the winter today, as the thermometer hit minus 40 degrees Celsius. Cold and snow disrupted transport across the region, including in Norway where a major highway in the south was closed due to the weather and ferry lines suspended operations.
Swedish train operators said the cold caused major problems for rail traffic in the northern Arctic.
Nikkaluokta, a small village inhabited by the indigenous Sami people in northern Sweden, recorded a temperature of minus 41.6 degrees.
The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute reported temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees in some places in northern Sweden and issued a snow and wind warning in central and southern Sweden. Its second-highest warning is in effect from midnight until Wednesday.
In neighboring Finland, this winter's coldest record was set in the northwestern town of Ylivieska, where temperatures fell to minus 37.8C and forecasters said temperatures would be below minus 40C in parts of the country during the week. Temperatures in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, were expected to hover between minus 15 and minus 20C.
In the southern Norwegian city of Arendal, officials said schools would be closed on Wednesday because it was not possible to clear the sidewalks in time for children to go to school. Several ferry companies across the region canceled trips, including those from southern Norway to Denmark, where a key bridge was closed to vehicles with light trailers due to strong winds, Danish officials said.