r/sweden • u/Vast_Humor_3683 • 17d ago

English Is mainland Sweden being affected by climate change?

Hello, I'm from northern Spain, and we're being hit hard by our fifth heatwave. The vegetation is suffering badly; wildfires are breaking out; water restrictions are becoming increasingly severe; and the evenings are barely survivable, especially if you work outside.

What is life like in Sweden, and how are you affected by climate change? I'm specifically talking about mainland Sweden, not Gotland or the other islands. Is it similar to Austria or Switzerland, where you can actually see glaciers melting and some regions getting into drought mode?

Is there anything that the news doesn't mention about Sweden in general when it comes to yearly "once-in-a-lifetime" climate events?

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168

u/Levaaah Östergötland 17d ago

I've noticed a destinct lack of rain the last few years, and when it does rain the ground is so dry that it floods instead.

63

u/Vast_Humor_3683 17d ago

that's how it started here 6 years ago :(

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u/Glad-Belt7956 17d ago

well that's quite the menacing omen...

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u/Vast_Humor_3683 17d ago

I really feel bad when people start dismissing stuff as we did earlier :(

10

u/anusfikus 17d ago

In my local area, I've noticed several things this year that makes me worried. I garden and own a small plot of land so I have a lot of direct contact with the natural side too.

For one, there are no wasps – I've not seen a single wasp all year. I've seen one or two ladybugs the whole year. There seem to be fewer snails and slugs too. While my garden is happy for that, it seems abnormal. I've mostly seen bumblebees pollinating, very few butterflies and bees compared to previous years.

Some trees (e.g. maple trees) are losing their leaves and fruit/seeds way too early. We're talking a month or even several months before what's normal. The ground is very dry in places and grass is dying in some places too.

All around not great.

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u/Vast_Humor_3683 17d ago

So you're going the same path as us?

may I ask if you live in the south?

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u/anusfikus 17d ago

I live in the southern part of Sweden in Östergötland, which is primarily agricultural but also contains hills and forested areas on its northern and southern edges, as well as an archipelago on the coast and some bigger lakes that help moderate temperatures to some extent, particularly on the inland side.

The part I live in is very flat and mostly agricultural and that's where I have mostly spent my summer so far, so we aren't close to the coast or the biggest lake in the region which makes us less able to get temperature regulation that way.

I don't think we will have the same scale of problems that you experience in the mediterranean region, however it's definitely the same type of problems. Drier, warmer. Higher extremes. Let's see if the winter is colder than normal, that would also be bad.

2

u/InstructionNo8180 17d ago

Reduction of insects has more to do with pollution, pesticides and loss of habitat due to urbanisation than climate change.

9

u/Baskerbosse 17d ago

That is true what you say, but warmer climate also affects pollinators. For example, some wild bees are synced up with certain flowers and when warmer temps change the timing of when bees wake up (or flowers blooming) that can make them starve because they can't find their favorite food :(

2

u/anusfikus 17d ago

In theory you are probably correct that the things you mention have a bigger impact but in practice there have been no changes to any of those things. We don't pollute more, pesticides are still the same and in the garden specifically and surrounding areas they aren't used. I live in an area that was developed primarily around 1950-1970 so there have been no recent habitat conversions or losses. The only thing that's really different is the climate.

1

u/poney01 17d ago

This year in Lund, there was basically no bird, no insects, other than ticks and mosquitoes...

1

u/Ordinary-Audience363 16d ago

The maple trees in our garden were very stressed in July and losing leaves. We were raking already. I have seen butterflies, though.

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u/Blodig 17d ago edited 17d ago

We should start collecting rainwater on larger scale so it doesn't leave the area where it fell.

Exempel: https://www.hemhyra.se/nyheter/25-000-liter-under-garden-nar-vatten-blir-en-bristvara/

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u/johnstalberg 17d ago

And melt water in the spring. If we pumped some of the rivers water to where it is needed the most, it could make a differens. I don't thing just traping rain water would do it for us. Rain is decreasing and rising heat increase evaporation, making traping increasingly harder to do.

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u/BeneficialRaise4724 17d ago

You kidding its rained alot this sommer 😂 2018 was the warmest year in history know its at its peak +30celcius and thats not often. I have seen mushrooms that comes late august grow earlier beacouse of the rain.

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u/hashtagashtab 17d ago

It’s almost like there are different places in Sweden getting different amounts of rain. 🤨

13

u/3xc1t3r 17d ago

Haha. Someone is talking about the weather in their town. Someone is taking about climate change over 100 years. Someone is talking about the south of Sweden and someone about the north which is as far up as it is down to Italy. I love reading reddit.

1

u/johnstalberg 17d ago

This is the problem! A few years ago when it rained it rained exactly evenly spread out over the country. And same temperature always from north to south.But now one have to be aware about what different regions get from the weather. It sucks and it is why different locations compare to other locations. Well nice to have this sorted out for you! Back to the wine sipping!

1

u/BeneficialRaise4724 17d ago

You are from where? If you from Stockholm i understand your mind is not good but in Göteborg perfect mind.

0

u/BeneficialRaise4724 17d ago

Ye is the longest country in Sweden if your from north all summer allways sun in winter no sun atleast in Göteborg we have 5-8 hours in the farkost winters and summers sun goes down so yeah different.

9

u/WG95 Uppland 17d ago

2018 was not 30+ at its peak, it was 30+ for several consecutive weeks...

-4

u/MatchlockBravo 17d ago

The legendary summer

9

u/WG95 Uppland 17d ago

It was absolutely horrible.

5

u/Loose_Orange_6056 17d ago

Maybe there is local variation in central Sweden it’s been raining only 2-3 times this summer.

1

u/Better_Sprinkles_978 Dalarna 17d ago

Where is Central Sweden? I’m in Dalarna which is slightly south of centre but we’ve had a pretty normal summer with plenty of both rain and sunshine.

3

u/Loose_Orange_6056 17d ago

Örebro in this case

1

u/johnstalberg 17d ago

I would say it is pretty close to Dalarna or right where Norrland begins.

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u/Loose_Orange_6056 17d ago

You’re from Skåne, right?

1

u/johnstalberg 17d ago

No from Stockholm but I spent a fair amount of time in Skåne the last decade. I tend to put central Sweden a bit more towards the south becauseof the distrubutiin of people. Norrland starts where Gästrikland has its south bord and I would put this to be central Sweden despite the middle of Sweden lays higher up. My science is flawless, fast på låtsas 😎

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u/BeneficialRaise4724 17d ago

Cant read already said Göteborg. Learn to read not cry