Nordics gripped by extreme cold as mercury falls to -43.6C in Swedish Lapland

Temperatures below -40C continue to be recorded in the Nordic region (Tor Erik Schroder/NTB Scanpix/AP)

Temperatures fell below -40C in the Nordic region for a second day in a row on Wednesday, with the coldest January temperature recorded in Sweden for 25 years.

In Kvikkjokk-Arrenjarka in Swedish Lapland, the mercury dropped to -43.6C, the coldest temperature in the country in January since 1999, Sweden’s TT news agency reported.