Sweden Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Uppsala, and Västerås
Summary
Sweden experienced moderate summer conditions overall, though southern regions saw brief spells of heat topped by temperatures over 30°C that triggered official high temperature and wildfire warnings. While the broader three-month period ranked well above historical norms, local weather offered a cooler contrast to severe heatwaves in southern Europe, with more variable conditions expected into late summer and early autumn.
This month in numbers
July 2026 brought a national average temperature of 14.83°C, an anomaly of +0.6°C above the 1961-1990 baseline that ranked 39th in 87 years of records. The broader May-July period averaged 12.59°C (+1.2°C anomaly) to rank 18th warmest. Globally, land temperatures reached 15.8°C (+1.6°C anomaly) to rank 3rd highest on record for the month, while the global three-month average hit 14.34°C (+1.5°C anomaly), marking the 2nd warmest May-July ever recorded.
What changed
Sweden's long-term annual warming trend stands at +1.69°C above the baseline, following a year in 2025 that averaged 5.21°C as the 2nd warmest on record. Yet for single-month warmth, Sweden ranked 220th out of 232 tracked regions globally. Across the European group at Europe, the average monthly anomaly reached +2.25°C, leaving Sweden 1.69°C cooler than the continental average as extreme heat remained centred further south.
What’s driving change?
Sweden's climate pattern is shaped by seasonal shifts and , as high northern latitudes warm faster than the global average. During the month, temporary high-pressure systems pushed temperatures past 30°C in southern regions, prompting official heat and wildfire warnings before cooler air returned. Globally, a moderate El Niño is active with a relative index anomaly of +0.98°C, tracked at ENSO, though its direct winter influence on Scandinavia remains historically inconsistent.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – Global
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Sweden
Köppen Dfb · ContinentalSweden has a continental climate (Köppen Dfb: Humid continental - warm summer), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 15.7°C, while January is the coldest at -5.7°C. Annual precipitation averages around 644mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Sweden
Right axis: everything else standardized to standard deviations (σ) from its own average, since mm/hours/days aren't directly comparable to °C or to each other.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Sweden
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI heatwave measure: days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Sweden
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Sweden
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Records – Sweden
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Dfc · ContinentalHow spring and autumn have shifted in Sweden. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (2.5°C, from 1940–1969); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 23.3°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Feb (+3.8°C).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Sweden
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
Monthly rainfall - Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD) preferred, World Bank CCKP/CRU TS fallback where GPCC lacks direct coverage.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Sweden changing?
Sweden is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Sweden?
Sweden has a continental climate (Köppen Dfb: Humid continental - warm summer), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 15.7°C, while January is the coldest at -5.7°C. Annual precipitation averages around 644mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Where does the climate data for Sweden come from?
Climate data for Sweden comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Sweden climate data cover?
The Sweden climate profile covers Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Uppsala and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Sweden
How often is the Sweden climate update refreshed?
The Sweden climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Sweden climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Sweden climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.