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WEATHER

What’s the weather going to be like in Norway’s main holiday month?

Norway's three-week 'joint holiday' starts on July 8th. How much sunshine and how much rain is forecast for the country's peak holiday month?

Published: 26 June 2024 14:10 CEST
Updated: 26 June 2024 17:34 CEST
What's the weather going to be like in Norway's main holiday month?
A popular sea swimming spot on the Oslofjord. Photo: Nikolai Kobets Freund / Oslo kommune

Marek Ratajczak, a forecaster at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, told The Local that July was shaping up to be “quite usual for the Norwegian climate”, with a few days of sunshine, followed by a few days of colder weather, and dry days interspersed with rainy days. 

“What the forecasts show is that there is a higher probability of low pressure systems in the Scandinavian region, which means that the weather will probably be changing a bit, like it has been doing in now in June. So we will have some cold days and some warm days.” 

On the plus side, he said that the forecasts suggested this July would be slightly warmer than average, but it could also be rainy. 

“It depends where the low pressure is located. If it’s located closer to the UK, then it has a higher chance of bringing in hot air from the south and southeast,” he said.

“The low pressure may also increase the chance of at least some periods of precipitation. You can expect a bit of usual Norwegian weather, when you have some days of sunshine and some days of rain, but there are no signals suggesting that it’s going to be unusually wet.”

Yr, the weather forecaster jointly run by the institute and NRK, only issues 21-day forecasts, but already in the days leading up to July 21st, it’s clear that some rain is expected. 

Here are Yr’s 21-day forecasts for Oslo, Bergen, and Tromsø on June 26th: 

Oslo:

Source: Yr.no

Bergen: 

Source: Yr.no

Tromsø: 

Source: Yr.no

Yr expects temperatures in Oslo to fluctuate between 14C and 20C in the first week of July, rising to 21C on the Saturday and Sunday. The second week of July, will be slightly warmer at the start of the week, with temperatures rising as high as 25C on the weekend, and remaining around that warm in the first half of the third week. 

In Bergen, it will be significantly cooler, with temperatures fluctuating between 10C-15C in the first week of July, becoming slightly warmer during the second week, hitting a peak of around 20C on the weekend, and then remaining around that warm for the first half of the third week. 

In Tromsø, the story is similar but a little cooler, with temperatures of between 10C and 17C in the first week, staying closer to 17C in the second week. 

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WEATHER

Why do temperatures of 25C feel so hot in Norway?

The traditionally cold climate in Norway has led to building designs focused on retaining heat. However, with rising temperatures and more frequent heat waves are causing challenges.

Published: 1 July 2024 12:12 CEST
Why do temperatures of 25C feel so hot in Norway?

The climate in Norway is cold for most of the year, which has historically influenced building construction and urban development to focus on retaining heat.

However, with global temperatures on the rise and heat waves becoming more frequent and intense, this design is now posing challenges.

READ MORE: How will Norway be affected by climate change-driven tourism?

The emphasis on heat retention in Norwegian buildings means that heat can quickly become overwhelming when temperatures soar to 25C or higher.

But which factors affect heat retention, and what can residents do to mitigate the effects of the country’s increasingly common heat waves?

Why Norwegian homes traditionally focus on getting light and heat in

In Norway, there are relatively few months when it gets uncomfortably hot indoors, but when it does happen, it can be pretty unpleasant.

Several factors influence indoor temperature, including the level of insulation and the size and location of windows.

Despite Norwegian houses being well-insulated and transferring minimal heat through walls, windows are often significant culprits in heat transfer.

To prevent excessive indoor heat, it’s essential to block it from entering in the first place. Historically, Norwegian homes have prioritised getting light and warmth in, leading to larger windows without much shading.

As a result, managing heat indoors requires strategies such as screening windows or external sun shading to reduce sunlight penetration.

Furthermore, maintaining a cool indoor environment by keeping heat out can be achieved by using heavy materials like concrete in building construction, which helps retain cooler temperatures when windows and vents are properly shielded and closed.

A 2023 report from Oxford University placed Norway among the countries which are the most poorly prepared for increasing global temperatures.

Heatwaves in Norway becoming more frequent

Heat waves are defined differently across different countries, and there isn’t a single universal definition.

The Norwegian Meteorological Institute defines a heat wave as a period during which temperatures exceed 28C during the day and do not fall below 16C at night for five consecutive days.

In recent decades, heat waves have become more common in Norway. The frequency of these extreme weather events has significantly increased over the last thirty years.

For instance, regions in Viken are now experiencing twice as many heatwaves as they did thirty years ago, according to recent reports from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK).

READ MORE: How to speak about the heat in Norway like a local

A 2019 report from the Meteorological Institute highlighted the growing prevalence and intensity of heatwaves in the country, noting that most heatwaves occur in the valleys of eastern Norway, where still air can lead to very high temperatures.

Areas far from the sea also lack the cooling effect of coastal breezes, exacerbating the heat.

Furthermore, the institute has observed that heatwaves are expanding to more inland areas and regions like western Norway and Trøndelag, which traditionally experienced fewer such events.

Urban design and its impact on heat

These prolonged periods of high temperatures are posing particular challenges for city inhabitants in Norway.

The way Norwegian big cities – such as Oslo and Bergen – are designed often exacerbates heat waves, as buildings and asphalt surfaces absorb and store heat from the sun.

This phenomenon, known as the urban heat island effect, makes cities susceptible to higher temperatures.

Engineering consultancy company Sweco recently published a report showcasing the findings of its investigation into how various European cities, including Oslo, can build resilience against heat waves.

Oslo’s unique topography, with its basin shape and compact city centre, heightens the risk of the urban heat island effect, the consultancy warned.

Over the past century, Oslo’s climate has warmed by 1.5C.

Despite being considered less exposed to climate risks globally, Norway’s capital experienced consistently high temperatures and drought from 2016 to 2018, increasing the risk of wildfires in the surrounding forests.

Guro Sørnes Kjerschow, a special advisor for climate change adaptation in Oslo, told Sweco that increasing temperatures bring challenges to public health and nature.

Therefore, Oslo Municipality is developing solutions to manage higher temperatures, especially for vulnerable populations, by enhancing green spaces, planting trees, and reopening streams in an attempt to mitigate the effects of warmer weather.

These efforts are crucial as buildings and city areas, originally designed to tackle long, cold winters, are now ill-equipped to handle rising temperatures. 

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