Norway cold occupied –winter 1940/41
Thesis
When Norway, in climatic terms a maritime country,
gets the coldest temperatures ever measured in the South Norway only
few months after being attacked, invaded, and occupied, while the
northern part remained in the ‘average’, then only the naval activities
in the Skagerrak and along the coast could have generated the record
temperatures in January 1941.
Facts
Norway is close to the Atlantic, benefiting from the
Norwegian current and it warm water. During summer 1940 Germany
attacked Norway from the sea with most of its naval forces involved in
the campaign, while Norway and Allied forces tried to prevent this.
Encounters and battles continued after the invasion was completed in
June for many months.
The first winter after the occupation and following
the most excessive ‘turning of coastal waters about’, low temperatures
that were never measured before were recorded. Meanwhile the northern
part of Norway was a bit colder than in previous years but remained
within ‘usual’ range.
After the arctic winter 1939-40, the war at sea
generated the second arctic winter 1940-41 along the ‘cold axis’ from
Stockholm to London. However, the ‘cold pole crown’ of receiving the
record temperatures, went to Southern Norway.
Evidence
Also in the Norwegian arctic winter case 1940/41, it
can be said that the cold follows the sea war scenario. Even though the
naval activities in Norway’s waters were high in 1940 compared to other
times, but moderate with regard to other sea areas in 1939 and 1941,
the naval related ‘turn about’ of seawater in the variant and complex
coastal areas of Norway, the atmosphere reacted immediately. The
weakened heat capacity of the sea could not sustain the common maritime
winter climate.
Conclusion and further reading
The naval, combat and transport captivities along
Norway’s very long coast lines, fjords and coastal seas, cooled the sea
surface down to a degree that cleared the way for arctic air to
establish record temperature conditions in January 1941. The centre of
cold during the first war winter was North Germany (Rotterdam – Hamburg
– Berlin) due to massive sea activities in the Western Baltic and
Helgoland Bight. In late 1941 the centre of sea war was in the Baltic
serving Stockholm with record conditions, and the Baltic Sea with
extreme and lasting icing during winter 1941-42. Arctic by occupation (3_11), and North Sea cooling (2_16), and Baltic battle field (3_21), and Baltic Sea icing (3_24).
|