Today in Sweden: a roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Sweden's mean temperature up 1.9C, two arrested for spying, Thunberg donates to Sami, and escaped owls: find out what's going on in Sweden with The Local's roundup.
Sweden's mean temperature up 1.9C since 1800s: report
Sweden's average temperature has risen nearly two degrees Celsius since the late 1800s and while precipitation has increased, the snow cover lasts two weeks less, a new report on the Nordic country's climate change said Tuesday.
According to the report from the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) the average temperature in the country was 1.9 degrees Celsius (3.4 degrees Fahrenheit) higher in the period between 1991 to 2020 compared to the period between 1861 and 1890.
SMHI noted that the observed change was roughly double that of the change in global average temperatures for the same period. The weather agency said that it had not previously conducted an analysis as extensive, where it looked at as many different indicators of climate change, before.
"The result of the analysis clearly show that Sweden's climate has changed," Semjon Schimanke, climatologist and project leader at SMHI, said in a statement.
Swedish vocab: tydligt – clearly
Sweden arrests two for spying
Sweden's security service Säpo on Tuesday arrested two people suspected of spying for years for an unnamed country, authorities said, with media reporting they were a married couple from Russia.
"The security service conducted an operation on Tuesday morning in the Stockholm area," the Prosecution Authority said.
Separately, Säpo said that "one of the arrested individuals is suspected of gross unlawful intelligence activities against Sweden and gross unlawful intelligence activities against a foreign power."
The second individual was a suspected accomplice, it added. Court documents show that prosecutors believe the intelligence gathering had been going in the Stockholm region since January 2013.
Säpo and the Prosecution Authority declined to give details about the pair but newspaper Aftonbladet reported they were a married couple who emigrated from Russia to Sweden shortly before 2000.
Aftonbladet said the couple, both in their 60s, appeared to live a quiet life in a residential Stockholm neighbourhood, while spying on Sweden and another country for Russia.
"They are just like anybody else. You say hi to them sometimes," a neighbour interviewed by the paper said.
Swedish vocab: medhjälp till – accessory to (being an accomplice)
Owls escape from Skansen zoo
Two great grey owls, or lappugglor, escaped from Stockholm's Skansen Zoo on Tuesday, only a month after the snake Sir Väs escaped from the same zoo.
On Wednesday morning, the zoo reported that one of the owls, named Percy, was back again, while his son Barr remains at loose.
On Monday night, the netting around the owls' enclosure collapsed due to the weight of snow, leaving a giant hole while the birds used to fly away into the darkness.
Linda Törngren, from the zoo said that the only individuals who had anything to fear from the owls were small rodents.
"They are absolutely not dangerous unless you are a small rodent," said Linda Törngren from the zoo. "They are extremely used to people and very friendly."
Swedish vocab: gnagare – rodents
Greta Thunberg charity gives two million kroner to Jåhkågaska Sami district
The Thunbergstiftelse charity set up by the climate activist Greta Thunberg is giving two million kronor to the Jåhkågaska Sami district, part of whose herding areas risk being taken over by the new Gállok/Kallak iron ore mine near Jokkmokk.
The donation is aimed at protecting biological diversity, clean water and air, as well as promoting moves to store carbon.
Swedish vocab: stiftelse – foundation
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Sweden's mean temperature up 1.9C since 1800s: report
Sweden's average temperature has risen nearly two degrees Celsius since the late 1800s and while precipitation has increased, the snow cover lasts two weeks less, a new report on the Nordic country's climate change said Tuesday.
According to the report from the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) the average temperature in the country was 1.9 degrees Celsius (3.4 degrees Fahrenheit) higher in the period between 1991 to 2020 compared to the period between 1861 and 1890.
SMHI noted that the observed change was roughly double that of the change in global average temperatures for the same period. The weather agency said that it had not previously conducted an analysis as extensive, where it looked at as many different indicators of climate change, before.
"The result of the analysis clearly show that Sweden's climate has changed," Semjon Schimanke, climatologist and project leader at SMHI, said in a statement.
Swedish vocab: tydligt – clearly
Sweden arrests two for spying
Sweden's security service Säpo on Tuesday arrested two people suspected of spying for years for an unnamed country, authorities said, with media reporting they were a married couple from Russia.
"The security service conducted an operation on Tuesday morning in the Stockholm area," the Prosecution Authority said.
Separately, Säpo said that "one of the arrested individuals is suspected of gross unlawful intelligence activities against Sweden and gross unlawful intelligence activities against a foreign power."
The second individual was a suspected accomplice, it added. Court documents show that prosecutors believe the intelligence gathering had been going in the Stockholm region since January 2013.
Säpo and the Prosecution Authority declined to give details about the pair but newspaper Aftonbladet reported they were a married couple who emigrated from Russia to Sweden shortly before 2000.
Aftonbladet said the couple, both in their 60s, appeared to live a quiet life in a residential Stockholm neighbourhood, while spying on Sweden and another country for Russia.
"They are just like anybody else. You say hi to them sometimes," a neighbour interviewed by the paper said.
Swedish vocab: medhjälp till – accessory to (being an accomplice)
Owls escape from Skansen zoo
Two great grey owls, or lappugglor, escaped from Stockholm's Skansen Zoo on Tuesday, only a month after the snake Sir Väs escaped from the same zoo.
On Wednesday morning, the zoo reported that one of the owls, named Percy, was back again, while his son Barr remains at loose.
On Monday night, the netting around the owls' enclosure collapsed due to the weight of snow, leaving a giant hole while the birds used to fly away into the darkness.
Linda Törngren, from the zoo said that the only individuals who had anything to fear from the owls were small rodents.
"They are absolutely not dangerous unless you are a small rodent," said Linda Törngren from the zoo. "They are extremely used to people and very friendly."
Swedish vocab: gnagare – rodents
Greta Thunberg charity gives two million kroner to Jåhkågaska Sami district
The Thunbergstiftelse charity set up by the climate activist Greta Thunberg is giving two million kronor to the Jåhkågaska Sami district, part of whose herding areas risk being taken over by the new Gállok/Kallak iron ore mine near Jokkmokk.
The donation is aimed at protecting biological diversity, clean water and air, as well as promoting moves to store carbon.
Swedish vocab: stiftelse – foundation
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