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Extremely cold temperatures combined with gale force winds and snow have wreaked havoc across Scandinavia. Thousands were without power, while others were stuck in their cars on clogged highways for hours, braving the cold.
In Denmark, the stormy winds and freezing temperatures make for difficult conditions on the roads. The police called on drivers to avoid unnecessary journeys.
Legend:
Not on the track, but off it: the icy road between Odum and Mejlby in Denmark makes it almost impossible to make progress. (January 4, 2024)
Keystone/Ritzau Scanpix via AP
It’s not clear whether it works better on a bike. However, these two cyclists brave the snowstorm and fight their way through the icy cold.
Legend:
Whether on the saddle or in the car: moving forward on the roads has become more difficult due to the weather conditions. (January 3, 2024)
Reuters/ RITZAU SCANPIX
A traffic jam on the E45 motorway in Denmark stretched for 30 kilometers at times on Thursday, according to the Ritzau news agency. Many vehicles were idle for more than 20 hours. Danish police called on motorists in the area to abandon their cars due to the difficult weather conditions.
Legend:
The traffic jam arose after a truck had an accident on Wednesday. (January 4, 2024)
Keystone/BO AMSTRUP DENMARK OUT
The snowstorm brought up to 50 centimeters of snow to Denmark in places. According to the Danish Meteorological Institute, the last time there was this much snow was 13 years ago. The reason: There is no place in Denmark that is further than 52 kilometers from the sea. It snows less often near the sea because the climate is milder there.
Legend:
A person ventures through the snowstorm in Randers, Denmark. (January 3, 2024)
Reuters/ RITZAU SCANPIX
In southern Sweden, more than 1,000 cars and trucks were stuck in the snow on the E22 motorway between Hörby and Kristianstad on Thursday, the TT news agency said.
Legend:
On Wednesday, hundreds of vehicles were stuck on the E22 European road near Ekeröd near Hörby in southern Sweden. (January 3, 2024)
Keystone/Johan Nilsson
While rescue workers initially freed cars from the snow, they began evacuating people from the trucks and cars late in the morning, according to TT.
Legend:
In the early morning, wheel loaders were still trying to free the vehicles from the snow. (January 4, 2024)
Keystone/ JOHAN NILSSON SWEDEN OUT
The bitter cold gave Sweden its coldest January night in 25 years. In the small northern Swedish town of Kvikkjokk in Lapland, an ice-cold minus 43.6 degrees was measured, as the meteorological institute SMHI announced on the online platform X on Wednesday. 4,000 households were without power, as Swedish Radio reported.
Legend:
A snow-covered street in the village of Vittangi in the northern municipality of Kiruna in Sweden. (January 3, 2024)
Reuters/TT NEWS AGENCY
Icy temperatures below minus 40 degrees were also recorded in northern Norway. The heavy snowfall covered entire streets.
Legend:
In the southern city of Kristiansand in Norway, the cars have to be dug up. (January 2, 2024)
Keystone/ GOAL ERIK SCHRODER NORWAY OUT
Due to the snowstorm, buses were canceled in the Norwegian city of Kristiansand. Schools had to close and employees were asked to stay in their home office.
Legend:
A person walks on a snow-covered street in downtown Kristiansand, Norway. (January 3, 2024)
Keystone/ GOAL ERIK SCHRODER NORWAY OUT
The icy weather is also continuing in Finland: According to meteorologists there, it was around minus 20 to minus 35 degrees throughout the country on Wednesday morning.
Legend:
These people in the municipality of Kolari in Finland think that the weather is perfect for ice fishing. (January 4, 2024)
Reuters/LEHTIKUVA
In the Finnish municipality of Enontekio near the border with Norway and Sweden, the country’s lowest temperature this winter was recorded on Thursday at minus 42.5 degrees. Meteorologists are predicting even colder temperatures for the rest of the week.
Legend:
A man walks on the frozen sea in southern Helsinki. (January 2, 2024)
Reuters/LEHTIKUVA
But the low temperatures don’t stop some die-hard Finns from taking an ice bath.
Legend:
Equipped with gloves and socks, a man dares to enter the ice-cold water in Helsinki, Finland. (January 2, 2024)
Reuters/LEHTIKUVA