As the quicksilver rose to 28 degrees Celsius, free-range reindeer in the northern Finnish town of Rovaniemi, the largest city in Finnish Lapland and supposedly home to Santa Claus, have been spotted cooling down at the local beach, seeking refuge from the scorching heat.
“Many people took photos and it didn't seem to bother them in the slightest. Children were playing nearby and that didn't disturb them either,” local resident Johanna Koivisto, who snapped a picture of the resting duo, told national broadcaster Yle.
Koivisto said she wasn't surprised to see reindeer at Ounaskoski, as she had seen the animals there the previous summer, too. In other words, seeing reindeer bathing at Rovaniemi's Ounakoski beach is business as usual.
Amid the unusual spell of hot weather, reindeer across Lapland have had difficulties coping with high temperatures. Last week, a group of reindeer was seen “queuing outside the social benefits office in the Lapland village of Inari to enjoy some shade.
Reindeer husbandry is huge in northern Finland, and plays an important role in the indigenous Sami culture. Finland is home to 200,000 reindeer, which means that in the more sparsely populated parts of the country, reindeer actually outnumber humans.
As the Nordic countries are experiencing searing temperatures amid Europe's record-breaking heatwave, heat warnings were issued across Scandinavia. Finnish police even warned motorists to be mindful of moose crossing roads in search of water to quench their thirst.
This past weekend, many areas in Scandinavia even saw “tropical nights”, which means that the quicksilver didn't fall below 20 degrees throughout the night, and reached all-time highs.