Extreme Cold Grips Scandinavia While Western Europe Braces for Deadly Flooding

The onset of the new year has brought extreme weather conditions to parts of Europe, with devastating floods in some countries and record-low temperatures and heavy snow in others. Northern Sweden and Finland have been especially hard-hit by an Arctic blast, leading to chaos on the roads.

In northern Sweden, Kvikkjokk-Årrenjarka experienced its lowest temperature since record-keeping began in 1887, with a frigid -43.6 degrees Celsius (-46.4 Fahrenheit) recorded on Wednesday, according to Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute meteorologist Sverker Hellström. The heavy snow drifts have led to significant road closures, leaving motorists stranded in their vehicles, Hellström reported to CNN.

On Thursday, rescue services evacuated hundreds of people who had been trapped overnight in their cars due to heavy snow, according to a Reuters report.

Snowy affects the traffic in Stockholm, Sweden, on January 2.

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Snow and ice in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, on January 3, as a cold snap hit the country.

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Temperatures in the far northwest of Finland plummeted to -42.4 degrees Celsius (-44.3 Fahrenheit) in the municipality of Enontekiö, marking the country's lowest temperature in 18 years.

A woman was discovered deceased on Tuesday after skiing in a blizzard in northern Finland, and her child remained missing as of Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Scandinavia has been contending with freezing temperatures since December, with Norway experiencing an average temperature in December that was 2.3 degrees below average. Similarly, Sweden and Finland have seen temperatures as much as 6 degrees below average in specific regions.

Mika Ratanen, a researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, stated that the unusually cold weather likely played a role in the Bothnian Bay freezing over earlier than usual. He also mentioned that this is the earliest this has happened since 2011 and anticipates that the Baltic Sea will have the best ice situation in many years this winter.

The chilly weather is projected to continue until Thursday before gradually reverting to normal next week. Europe's weather tells two contrasting stories, with Scandinavia experiencing cold temperatures and southern Europe facing much milder weather and deadly storms.

Numerous flood warnings have been issued in the UK following the passage of Storm Henk through the southern region of the country, which brought with it powerful winds and torrential rain. Tragically, the storm resulted in the loss of a life when a man in Gloucestershire, southwest England, was killed on Tuesday after a tree fell onto the car he was driving, as confirmed by local police.

Waves in Newhaven, England on January 2, 2024, as Storm Henk brought strong winds and heavy rain across much of southern England.

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Flooding after the River Severn burst its banks on January 3, 2024 in Worcester, England.

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Henk has passed, but the European Severe Weather Database predicts more rainfall in southern England on Thursday and Friday. Although not as heavy as before, the rain will further saturate the ground and heighten the risk of flooding.

Northern parts of France were hit with severe flooding due to the same storm, resulting in hundreds losing power and over 370 evacuations. The Pas-de-Calais department was under a "red alert" for flooding on Thursday, with six other nearby departments under an "orange alert," stated by Météo France, the country's national weather service.

Rescuers evacuate local residents by boat as the Aa River overflows in Arques near Saint-Omer, after heavy rain caused flooding in northern France on January 3.

Pascal Rossignol/Reuters

Local authorities have warned people in affected areas not to go into their basements, to avoid travel and stay away from waterways.

Northwestern Europe was hit by Storm Ciarán, causing hurricane-strength winds and fatalities in November. The recent storm follows a pattern of increasingly severe weather events, like heavy rainfall and storms, driven by climate change and the burning of fossil fuels.

The Earth's warming atmosphere allows it to hold more water vapor, leading to more intense rainfall and a higher risk of destructive flooding. Last year marked the hottest global temperatures on record.

CNNs Pierre Bairin and Maya Szaniecki contributed reporting