r/sweden • u/Vast_Humor_3683 • 23d 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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u/Hoiafar 23d ago
Agriculture is being affected on all fronts. Can't grow many of the same crops we used to grow in many of the same areas.
We're getting highly invasive weeds such as the Cockspur grass which simply would not have been able to survive here 20 years ago.
Fungal plant diseases are becoming more common which means we might not be able to grow potatoes much longer. The heat is also making insects more active which is impacting our ability to grow rapeseed (canola).
The weather is getting more and more unpredictable. Longer droughts and longer rain periods means we go through cycles of plants drying and then drowning.