Sweden sees record cold as temperatures plunge below -40 Celsius

Sweden on Wednesday recorded its coldest January night in 25 years, with a reading of minus 43.6 degrees Celsius in the far north as a cold snap hit the country and neighbouring Finland.

In January 1999, a temperature of minus 49 degrees Celsius was recorded in Sweden, which then tied the record set in 1951. The cold snap has forced local bus operators to cancel services, and train operator Vy said that it had cancelled all trains north of the city of Umea for several days.

Trains were also disrupted in neighbouring Finland, were a seasonal record of minus 38.7 Celsius was recorded Tuesday evening in the northern Lapland region. The cold front is expected to move south over the next few days.