Climate Change Overview

Country Summary

This page presents high-level information for Norway's climate zones and its seasonal cycle for mean temperature and precipitation for the latest climatology, 1991-2020. Climate zone classifications are derived from the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, which divides climates into five main climate groups divided based on seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns. The five main groups are A (tropical), B (dry), C (temperate), D (continental), and E (polar). All climates except for those in the E group are assigned a seasonal precipitation sub-group (second letter).  Climate classifications are identified by hovering your mouse over the legend. A narrative overview of Norway's country context and climate is provided following the visualizations.

 

Norway is located in Northern Europe. It shares borders with Sweden, Finland, Russia, the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. Norway has a total area of 323,781 km2 and a mainland coastline of more than 2,500 km long, excluding fjords and bays. With approximately 5.4 million (2020) inhabitants, Norway has the lowest population density in Europe after Iceland. The large majority of the Norwegian population is settled along the coast and the fjords, and an increasing percentage, about 80% of the population lives in urban settlements. Norway is a small, open and integrated economy. The petroleum industry has for several decades been a key driver for economic growth in Norway. In 2016, the production of crude oil and natural gas accounted for 15% of the Norwegian GDP. The service sector (private and public) accounted for 65% of GDP and over 75% of employment in 2017. Norway is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change such as increase in annual mean temperature and precipitation, rainfall floods, summer droughts, sea level rise, and ocean acidification. The natural environment, infrastructure and buildings, in particular water and sewage, are particularly vulnerable to climate change in Norway.