Sweden’s average temperature has risen by almost two degrees Celsius since the end of the 19th century, the snow cover is two weeks shorter, and precipitation has increased, according to a new report on climate change in the Nordic country.
The report from the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) shows that the average temperature in Sweden was 1.9 degrees Celsius higher between 1991 and 2020, compared to the period between 1861 and 1890.
The SMHI noted that the change was about twice as large as the shift in global average temperatures for the same period.
The meteorological agency disclosed that it had never before carried out such an extensive analysis, taking into account so many different indicators of climate change. The results “clearly show that Sweden’s climate has changed,” climatologist Semjon Schimanke, project leader at the SMHI, said in a statement.
“The warmer climate with more precipitation in Sweden closely follows the observed global warming that results from human influence on the climate,” added Erik Kjellstrom, professor of climatology at SMHI.
Not all observation series covered the same period, the agency said.
The report notes that that precipitation has increased since 1930, from about 600 millimetres to almost 700 millimetres from the year 2000. In contrast, the winter snow cover in the country decreased by an average of 16 days in 1991-2020 compared to the 1961-1990 period.
The SMHI noted that these observations were annual averages, and that the picture becomes more complex when specific regions or seasons are studied.
