Sweden records year's warmest day

Sweden recorded the temperature of 34.6 degrees Celsius on Thursday, the warmest day of the year, the Swedish Television SVT reported on Friday.

Amid the extremely hot and dry weather, Sweden is fighting forest fires, which have engulfed 25,000 hectares by Thursday. Fire warnings were issued throughout the country, and all backyard barbecues were banned at the expense of a fine.

Yet some citizens disobey the instructions. To prevent new fires from starting, grocery stores have now started to remove grilling equipment from their selections.

"This is our contribution to the difficult situation," Axfood's Press Manager Claes Salomonsson told the Swedish TT News Agency.

Sweden has had practically no rain for the past two months, but during the weekend rains and thunder are expected.

"A cold front from west approaches on Sunday and that could provide some much-needed rain even in the southern parts of the country," meteorologist Lasse Rydqvist told SVT.

This July has been the warmest in Sweden's history in over 260 years. All time day records are from 1933 and 1947 when the temperatures hit 38 degrees Celsius.