Scorching summer triggers water crisis in Sweden

Authorities across the Swedish capital and surrounding areas have issued urgent calls for water conservation following an intense summer heatwave that has pushed temperatures to record-breaking levels across Scandinavia.

Residents have been asked to reduce their water consumption in response to dwindling tap water production caused by unusually warm lake temperatures, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Stockholm city officials revealed that Lake Mälaren, the primary source of drinking water for over two million people, has been affected by elevated temperatures, impairing the region's capacity to produce sufficient potable water. The warning comes amid broader concerns that climate change is transforming weather patterns across northern Europe.

In a public statement, Stockholm Water and Waste urged restraint: “Every drop counts.”

The advisory includes recommendations to shorten showers, avoid filling swimming pools, refrain from watering gardens, and limit car washing — guidelines that are particularly striking in Sweden, a nation often associated with abundant freshwater resources.

The unprecedented situation follows a prolonged and extreme heatwave that blanketed much of Europe in July, with temperatures exceeding 40°C in some areas. The soaring heat has triggered wildfires, disrupted infrastructure, and led to hundreds of fatalities. According to scientists, such events are becoming increasingly common and severe as a direct result of anthropogenic climate change.

"We have had big changes in Sweden's climate," said Erik Kjellström, Professor of Climatology at the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute. "Winters have become shorter and much milder and we can see that summers have become longer and warmer in general."

July marked the hottest month in a century for many parts of Sweden, with the far north experiencing the most dramatic temperature spikes. In Jokkmokk, a town just north of the Arctic Circle, daytime highs exceeded 25°C for 15 consecutive days — a rare occurrence in a region known for its frigid climate.

Neighboring countries are facing similar challenges. In Norway, the capital city Oslo has grappled with low reservoir levels due to below-average rainfall. Local authorities have urged residents since late July to voluntarily limit their water use. Meanwhile, in Finland’s Ylitornio — near the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi — temperatures remained above 25°C for a staggering 26 consecutive days.

A recent study by the climate research organization World Weather Attribution underscored the growing frequency and intensity of extreme weather in the region. “Based on the available evidence we conclude that similar events are at least ten times more likely to occur now than they would have been in a preindustrial climate without human-caused warming,” the report stated.

By Vafa Guliyeva