The industrial community of Torpshammar in Ånge municipality can boast of a new Swedish record. Here, more rain fell in one minute than previously measured – a total of 3.8 millimeters.
It was on Monday evening that a very intense thunderstorm swept over Torpshammar, an industrial community located along the Ljungan River, approximately halfway between Ånge and Matfors, in Västernorrland County. Here, nearly 4 millimeters of rain fell in just one minute – which is a Swedish record.
Torpshammar resident Jannie Ringdahl, who runs the hotel and conference facility Torpshammars herrgård, is not surprised that the small community is once again making its mark on the weather map.
More Records
We usually have both snow and heat records. Often, you hear that Torpshammar is the warmest in the country, she says.
She was not at home when the sky opened up. But she takes the tropical downpour in stride:
We have downspouts that can handle large amounts of rain. Moreover, we live quite high up on a slope down towards the Ljungan River, so the water runs off.
Torpshammar also distinguished itself during the heatwave at the end of June. Then, it was the warmest in the whole country with a temperature of 30.4 degrees. In March 2022, the highest temperature of the year was recorded in Torpshammar.
The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute's (SMHI) heavy rainfall warnings have been frequent all summer. But according to Sofia Strömberg, a meteorologist at SMHI, this does not necessarily mean that there are more intense showers than normal.
We look at what kind of community disruption the precipitation can cause. Is it an area that is particularly sensitive, are many people present, or is there a large event underway? Then we have some guidelines, if it's between 30 and 50 millimeters in three to four hours, then there's a risk that the rain will cause problems, she says.
The World Record in the USA
So far this summer, there is nothing remarkable in terms of rainfall, according to SMHI. In some areas, particularly around Linköping, it has rained a bit more than normal for the time of year, but you have to go much further back in time – to the reference period 1961–1990 – to talk about a larger change.
With the climate we have today, it's around normal.
The question is whether there will be more Swedish weather records this summer. Torpshammar still has a way to go to reach the world record, which stands at 31.2 millimeters. It was also set in July, specifically on the USA's Independence Day, July 4, 1956, in Unionville, Maryland, according to statistics from the World Meteorological Organization.
However, it's only been a few years since SMHI began collecting minute data on precipitation, so maybe there's a chance for new titles.
