Too hot for Santa as Lapland buckles under record heatwave

Climate change strikes again

The Arctic town of Rovaniemi in

Lapland

is grappling with unprecedented heat, and locals and tourists alike are sweating through the

Christmas season.

Reindeer are suffering from

heat stress

,

sled dogs are panting

, and

ice roads

that are vital to local

transportation

are melting

months

earlier than usual.

Santa Claus Village

, a

Christmas-themed park

that is one of Lapland's main attractions, is feeling the heat, too.

Temperatures are soaring well into the

20s

Celsius, making it feel like a

summer vacation

destination more than a winter wonderland.

Global warming's impact

Scientists attribute the heatwave to

global warming

, which is

causing a faster decline in Arctic sea ice

than previously predicted.

It's not just

Santa's

home that's feeling the heat either; recent research shows that the

world's hottest years

have all occurred in the last

20 years.

Curbing carbon emissions

With

climate change

as one of the

most pressing issues

of our time, it's essential to promote

sustainable practices

and

curtail carbon emissions

to mitigate the

worst effects

and ensure we

preserve our planet

for generations to come.