Severe cold strands thousands of tourists in Finland’s Lapland
On Sunday, temperatures plunged to –35°C, preventing planes from departing to destinations including London, Bristol, Manchester, Paris, and Amsterdam. Finland’s meteorological agency has warned conditions will worsen, with lows of –39°C forecast for Monday. The first scheduled flight of the day has already been cancelled.
Officials explained that the severe cold makes de icing aircraft nearly impossible, while ground equipment used for refueling and maintenance can freeze. Finavia, the airport operator, told a broadcaster that moisture in the air was compounding the problem by creating slippery frost.
Although Lapland is famous for its icy winters, the tourism board notes that average seasonal temperatures in Finnish Lapland are closer to –14°C, with occasional dips to –30°C. The current cold spell is unusually harsh.
Kittilä airport mainly serves visitors heading to ski resorts and those hoping to see the Northern Lights. Further south, Rovaniemi airport—known as the gateway to Santa Claus’s folkloric home—also saw one flight cancelled on Sunday. Flights in and out of Kittilä were disrupted on Friday and Saturday as well.
The cold snap has also made roads treacherous. Fintraffic issued warnings about icy conditions, and police reported that a bus carrying Ukrainian passengers skidded into a ditch on Sunday morning. Fortunately, no serious injuries were recorded.
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