Norway’s far north faces unusually warm June as heatwave shifts northward

Northern Norway is set for above-normal temperatures this week, with parts of East Finnmark potentially exceeding 25°C, meteorologists reported Monday, citing broad agreement among European forecasts.

The warmth follows a late-May heatwave that shattered UK records, including a 35.1°C reading in London—surpassing the previous May high of 32.8°C set in 1922 and 1944. Now, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) projects June temperatures well above seasonal norms across Europe, with Norway’s northern regions first in line, Dagbladet reports.

“A significant mass of warm air is moving northward, which could push temperatures unusually high,” said duty meteorologist Magnus Ovhed. East Finnmark is expected to see the highest readings, with forecasts approaching 26°C—levels last recorded in Kirkenes in June 2013 and 2014. “For this time of year, that’s abnormal,” Ovhed noted.

The short-term outlook is clearer than the month ahead. While some models suggest the warmth may drift southward later in June, others indicate it could linger in the north. Ovhed attributed the uncertainty to a clash between warm continental air and cooler Atlantic flows.