Heatwave locations in northern Sweden breaking July temperature records, as depicted on a map
Record-Breaking Heatwave Sweeps Across Northern Sweden
July 2021 saw unprecedented heatwave conditions in northern Sweden, with several towns setting new temperature records. According to meteorologist Sverker Hellström of public forecaster SMHI, the month was one of the longest heatwaves ever recorded in the region.
In Åsele, Västerbotten County, temperatures soared to a staggering 32.3°C, setting a new record. This equaled an earlier record set in the town. Storlien near Åre also registered a new record for maximum temperature, with temperatures reaching 30°C on July 16th.
Further north in Jämtland, Hoting set a new record for maximum temperature with a temperature of 31.9°C on July 15th, surpassing the previous 1969 record of 31.7°C.
The heatwave in July 2021 stood out in Jokkmokk and Haparanda, two towns in northern Sweden. Jokkmokk experienced 15 consecutive days of heat, the longest heatwave since 1924. The heatwave in Haparanda lasted for 14 days, beating its previous records of 13-day heatwaves in 1972 and 1941 but still falling short of the 18-day heatwave recorded in 1924.
The heatwave in Haparanda started and ended on unspecified dates but lasted from July 12th to July 25th. In contrast, the heatwave in Jokkmokk in July 2021 lasted for 15 days, but the exact dates are not known.
The average temperature in Jokkmokk was 18.8°C in July, breaking a previous record of 18.5°C set in July 2014. Only one of SMHI's weather stations, Jokkmokk in Swedish Lapland, registered a new monthly record for average temperature.
While these heatwaves are notable for their duration, the historical record high temperature in Sweden is 38.0°C, recorded in Ultuna (Uppsala County) on 9 July 1933 and in Målilla (Kalmar County) on 29 June 1947. However, these records are not specific to northern Sweden.
Neighboring countries, such as Finland and Norway, also experienced record-breaking heatwaves. Finland recorded a heatwave lasting 22 consecutive days above 30°C in July 2025, the most prolonged on record for the Nordic region. Norway's northern areas saw temperatures surpass 30°C for 13 days in July 2025. Sweden itself experienced 10 consecutive days of "tropical nights" (minimum temperatures above 20°C) in July 2025, a newly recorded prolonged warm period.
These heatwaves are linked strongly to the climate crisis, with scientists confirming they were intensified and made vastly more likely due to human-caused global warming. The heatwave in Luleå and Piteå in July 2021 was slightly cooler, preventing the two cities from breaking any records.
References: 1. SMHI Blog: Sverker Hellström 2. SMHI: Historical temperature extremes 3. SMHI: Climate change and extreme weather 4. The Local: Sweden's hottest summer on record 5. BBC News: Sweden's heatwave breaks records across the country
In light of the record-breaking heatwave that swept across northern Sweden in July 2021, the significance of environmental-science in understanding the impact of changing weather patterns becomes increasingly evident. To foresee and mitigate similar extreme weather events in the future, further research in the field of science, specifically environmental-science, is crucial.
