Finland and Sweden recorded the lowest temperatures during the winter on Tuesday, as thermometers showed minus 40 degrees Celsius.
The Nordic region recorded record low temperatures in this period.
In Nikkaluokta, a small village inhabited by the indigenous Sami people in northern Sweden, the thermometer showed minus 41.6 degrees early on Tuesday, Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported.
“It’s the coldest temperature we’ve had so far this winter, and it’s still going to be pretty cold in the north,” SVT meteorologist Nils Holmqvist said.
The railway operators in Sweden announced that the cold weather caused significant problems in the railway traffic in the north of the country.
The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute announced that temperatures of minus 30 degrees were recorded in several locations in northern Sweden.
It also issued a snow and wind warning for central and southern Sweden, noting that Wednesday’s snowfall combined with wind could cause further problems.
In neighboring Finland, this winter’s coldest record was set in the northwestern town of Ylivieska where temperatures fell to minus 37.8 early on Tuesday.
Temperatures below minus 30 degrees were recorded in several locations in the Arctic Lapland region. Low temperatures ranging between minus 15 and minus 20 degrees are expected to hit Helsinki, the capital of Finland, during this week.
The Finnish Meteorological Institute has issued a warning for significantly cold weather that will prevail in the country this week, and the forecasted temperatures will probably be below minus 40 degrees in parts of the country.
A section of the E18 highway in southern Norway is closed due to the weather, police said.
In Denmark, a key bridge is closed to vehicles with light trailers due to strong winds that may affect driving, the Danish Roads Authority said.
Heavy snow is expected over the northern part of the country, the Danish Meteorological Institute announced, AA writes.