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No end in sight to Sweden's heatwave

The Local Sweden
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No end in sight to Sweden's heatwave
A child having fun in the water in Lomma, southern Sweden, earlier this month. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Sweden's heatwave seems to have no end in sight, with 30C expected this weekend.

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May has been an unusually sunny month, with temperatures staying above 20C almost every day across Sweden. And this weekend they are expected to hit 30C in large parts of the country.

Western and central Sweden will get the bulk of the weekend heatwave, but the whole country from north to south looks set to enjoy at least 20-25C, according to weather forecasters Storm.

"It is to do with the position of the jet streams. There have been cold fronts coming in, but they have not managed to break down the high pressure. We often see this kind of 'locked' weather situation, but rarely with this kind of heat," Storm meteorologist Johan Groth told Expressen.

He added it is likely the hottest month of May since records began in large parts of Sweden.

But there's a flip side.

Sweden's most popular holiday months – June, July and August – could end up paying the price for the summer weather in May.

"You get a bit worried about the summer. When you sum up a year you rarely get major deviations, and unfortunately that must mean colder and rainier periods ahead," said Groth, adding: "Or we get an amazing summer. But I am worried."

The hot and dry weather is not all positive. It has also created a risk of forest or grass fires across much of Sweden, and as a result the use of portable barbecues in nature has been banned in many places until further notice, apart from special spots where grilling is still permitted.

READ ALSO: The best places to have a safe BBQ in Stockholm

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