“Oslo to be one of Europe’s Warmest Capitals this Weekend, says Meteorological Institute”

– It just so happens that a small heat wave is headed our way, says the climate scientist.

The weekend ahead will be hot. Temperatures above 20 degrees are expected in several places in the country.

Now meteorologist on duty Alexander Skeltved at the Meteorological Institute says that Oslo will be among the warmest places in all of Europe:

– If we look at the forecasts right now, Lisbon is the only capital that can get temperatures that are higher than Oslo at the weekend, says Skeltved.

In Oslo it is reported to be 23 degrees, while in Lisbon it will be 24 degrees.

– Oslo among the warmest

He also says that Stockholm is the only capital that can get as hot as Oslo.

– At the moment, there is high pressure just to the west of the Baltics, and that is what creates the warm temperatures in southern Scandinavia and around the Baltic Sea, he explains.

Only the capitals in the very south of Europe are close to the temperatures in southern Scandinavia.

– It’s fun that we can be among the warmest capitals in Europe. The only ones that will compare are Rome with 21 degrees, Madrid with 21 degrees, and Athens with 22 degrees, he adds.

In southern Spain, on the other hand, there is an ongoing heat wave and drought, and much higher temperatures are expected here in the coming days.

Hans Olav Hygen, climate researcher at the Meteorological Institute, describes the differences in Europe this weekend as coincidental.

– That it is warmer in Oslo is a natural variation and weather. It just so happens that a small heat wave is coming towards us, while there are cold waves in the rest of Europe, says Hygen.

He says that in the bigger picture it is getting hotter and hotter throughout the year in all the European cities, which is linked to global warming.

– Must enjoy

Despite climate change, he encourages Norwegians to enjoy the nice weather while we have it:

– We live in a country that is far to the north, where we have several days where we walk around and freeze to death. We have to learn and enjoy the weather that is now, while at the same time we have to keep climate concerns in the back of our minds, says Hygen.

– We can safely expect that both Madrid and Paris will beat us to the punch during the summer, he adds with a chuckle.

In January came the summary of the climate year 2022. Then Hygen described the weather in 2022 as “warmer and wetter”. He expected a 2023 with high temperatures and heavy rainfall.

– There can be large variations from year to year. But if we look over time, these are the trends we are heading into, Hygen told VG.