How spring snow caught the Swedes by surprise

Drivers across Sweden were told to take it easy on the slippery roads in the morning. Police in the southern town of Lund warned on Instagram that “a hefty charge of hail, combined with falling temperatures, is causing accidents in the area just now”.

In Gothenburg on the west coast, a lamp pole blocking the busy E6 road, after a driver crashed into a central barrier, added further misery to Swedish commuters' travel woes. Police control room officer Joakim Hansson simply commented to the Aftonbladet tabloid: “It is going to be a chaotic morning”.

Now, while northern Sweden often sees sub-zero temperatures stick around well into late spring, southern and even central parts rarely experience snow this late in April. But Monday morning's sudden freeze follows a weekend of some very bizarre spring weather in the Nordic country.

In Bromölla in the far south, all drivers and passengers escaped without injuries after seven to ten cars were involved in a smash on the E22 road on Sunday afternoon, following another bout of sudden snow.

“Two decimetres of snow, that's what happened. They were surprised by a lot of snow in a very short space of time,” police spokesperson Jimmy Modin told the TT news agency.

The chilly April weather is set to stay until the end of the month, although temperatures may slowly creep upwards with up to ten degrees expected on Walpurgis Night, on April 30th, when Swedes light bonfires to welcome the arrival of spring.

“We can expect unsteady days, with precipitation that could have elements of sleet in the Götaland region,” said Alexandra Ohlsson, meteorologist at national weather institute SMHI.

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