Sweden's earliest 'summer' recorded as temperatures surpass 10 degree mark

Sweden has experienced its earliest recorded beginning of what it defines as "summer," with three southern towns reporting average temperatures above 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) for five consecutive days, announced the country's meteorological service on Thursday (April 11).

"A Swedish weather record was broken on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Each day from April 6th to 10th, the average daily temperature was at least 10 degrees at SMHI's stations in Malmo, Kristianstad and Karlshamn," SMHI said on its website.

"The condition was thereby met for meteorological summer at these three stations," it said.

"This is the earliest arrival date for summer ever observed in Sweden, with statistics that date back to the end of the 1800s," it added.

The previous record occurred in 1906 when the official start of summer was recorded on April 10th.

"Inevitably, as global warming progresses, the likelihood of summer arriving ever earlier increases," SMHI said.

Even though summer has officially begun, much of Sweden was not expected to experience warm weather through the following week, with temperatures predicted to stay in the single digits.

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'Two years to save the world': UN Climate chief's warning

Simon Stiell, the UN Climate Chief, warned that governments, business leaders, and development banks have a two-year window to implement measures to prevent more severe climate change.

In a speech at the Chatham House in London, Stiell said, "We still have a chance to make greenhouse gas emissions tumble, with a new generation of national climate plans. But we need these stronger plans now."

He added, "More and more people want climate action right across societies and political spectrums, largely because they are feeling the impacts of the climate crisis in their everyday lives and household budgets."

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Stiell also pointed out that the climate crisis is getting less attention on the global agenda, just when there's a need for consensus on how to assist developing countries in affording clean energy and dealing with extreme weather.

(With inputs from agencies)