Sweden towns record warmest March days on record
Several places in Sweden saw their highest March temperatures on record on Sunday, with Torpshammar, near Sundsvall in Västernorrland, recording a temperature of 16.8C on Sunday.
This was the highest temperature anywhere in the country so far this year, although Gävle and Delsbo in Gävleborg were close behind, with both recording temperatures of 16.7C.
“It’s been warm across the country, but it’s been mostly in the middle and north of Norrland that we’ve had temperatures that are a long way above normal,” Ida Dahlström, a meteorologist with state weather forecaster SMHI, told the TT newswire.
“When it comes to Delsbo, this is the highest march temperature recorded since records began in 1898.”
March heat records have also been set in the northern cities of Kiruna and Umeå.
Swedish Vocab. Värmerekord – heat record
Increase in reported IT attacks in recent weeks
The number of reported IT incidents taking place in Swedish authorities has seen a large increase in recent weeks, Sweden’s radio state broadcaster, SR, has reported.
According to Peter Jonegård, deputy head of the the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency’s Computer Emergency Response Team, the number of reported attacks has increased from around 200 per week to between 400 and 500 in recent weeks, although this does not mean that more cyber attacks are occurring.
“There is a larger number, but the threshold at which people contact us has also been lowered, so we can’t say for sure today that it’s an increase which is due to an increase in attacks,” Jonegård told SR.
Swedish vocabulary: cyberangrepp, it-attack – cyber attack, IT attack
Swedish fishermen concerned about offshore wind farms: ‘catastrophe’
Swedish fishermen have warned that plans to build offshore wind farms, particularly in the Skagerrak, the strait north of Denmark and west of Gothenburg, will be a “catastrophe”.
The Swedish Pelagic Federation – a group of fishermen who catch fish such as herring, mackerel and sprats, which are not found on the seabed – fear that new wind farms will affect their catch.
“We can’t go in zigzags around the wind turbines,” Anton Paulrud, chairman of the Swedish Pelagic Federation, told the TT newswire. “Trawlers can be 500 meters long, plus cables. On top of that, there needs to be a safety zone. On the one hand, you can damage the wind turbines, but the worst thing would be for the boat to get caught in something. That could be really bad.”
Fishermen who catch fish by trawling on the seabed can’t fish in these areas at all, due to the risk of damaging cables used in the wind farms.
There are currently applications for around 40 possible offshore windfarms off the coast of Sweden, according to Svenska Kraftnät, the authority responsible for Sweden’s national grid.
“Even if just a small amount are built, it would be a catastrophe,” said Paulrud.
Swedish vocabulary: vindkraft till havs – offshore wind farms
Long waits to renew Swedish passports could be illegal
In many parts of Sweden, it is now impossible to renew your passport until after summer, with some regions lacking available appointments before September.
At least 20 people have reported the police to the Parliamentary Ombudsman in frustration at these long waiting times.
The ombudsman is responsible for investigating Swedish authorities and ensuring that their actions follow the law. Long waiting times mean Swedes without a valid passport are unable to leave the country, which could go against Sweden’s constitution.
“It’s not unproblematic,” Tormod Otter Johansen, a senior lecturer in public law at Gothenburg University, told TT. “Of course it’s not enough that you are formally allowed to leave the country. If you in practice cannot leave the country because you aren’t able to get a passport, then that’s a limitation placed on a freedom you’re entitled to.”
However, Johansen believes that bringing the issue to court would be difficult. “Potentially, you could sue the state if you had experienced some form of damages – ideally an economic damage due to the fact that you can’t travel abroad. Then you’d go the damages route, even if the threshold there is high.”
Appealing to administrative courts would be even more difficult, because of the fact that there is no delay in processing applications, rather a delay in booking a time slot to apply.
“There’s no decision to appeal, as you haven’t been able to make an application, which is a bit of a Catch-22.” Johansen said.
Here’s The Local’s article on what’s going on with Swedish passport renewals, and how you can apply.
Swedish vocabulary: grundlag – constitution
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