Wearing a bright pink cap for sun protection, Linnea Ottosson drags her shovel along the bottom of Tjuvholmssundet, one of Luleå’s bathing spots. Surrounded by clear blue water, she expertly lifts a load of sand and tosses it aside before starting again.
“We were here both yesterday and today. Now we’re waiting for some friends and will probably keep swimming,” says her father, Marcus Ottosson, who sits beside her in the warm water.
The heat that has taken hold of northern Sweden is palpable in the strait where the Lule River meets the Bothnian Bay. In recent days, the temperature in Luleå has been around 30 degrees Celsius, according to SMHI.
“We’ll probably stay and play here as long as it’s warm. Of course we like the heat, but now it’s a bit of a ‘next level’. But we shouldn’t complain — it makes up for the winter a little,” says Marcus Ottosson.
It doesn’t look like the Ottosson family will need to bring out their sweaters anytime soon.
According to SMHI, the extreme heat from Spain has made its way up to Sweden and may last at least until Saturday. The agency has issued a yellow warning for high temperatures in the inland areas of northern Sweden. SMHI urges people to pay attention to how their bodies react and to drink plenty of water.
Both SMHI and the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten are also warning that the high temperatures could increase the risk of forest fires. While no fire bans have been issued at present, the county board advises caution.
Earlier, DN reported that the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) is preparing to move six firefighting helicopters and four water bombers further north.
“Even if there’s no local fire ban, we recommend not grilling or making fires at all in areas where SMHI considers the fire risk to be high,” said forest fire coordinator Stefan Andersson at MSB to DN.
Meanwhile, southern Sweden is experiencing much wetter weather. On Tuesday, SMHI issued a yellow warning for torrential rain in large parts of Västra Götaland, Skåne, and the southernmost part of Halland. The warning is in effect until Wednesday morning.
At Tjuvholmssundet, rainy days feel far away. While one family plays volleyball by the shore, Elina Dejke tries to cool down her dog, Rocket. Even though his wet fur gives him away, at first glance he looks like he’s avoiding the water.
“Rocket mostly just stands still in the water and watches,” she says, looking at the dog standing like a statue in the water.
How do you help him cope with this weather?
“It’s hard to get him to cool off unless we go swimming. He likes the heat and lying in the sun.”
Elina Dejke also uses cooling mats and frozen food to cool him down.
“We try to keep him in the shade, turn on the fan, and give him frozen meatballs. And swimming, of course.”
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