Climate
Norway’s location on the east side of a vast ocean, with a huge, warm and steady ocean current near its shores, gives it a much friendlier climate than what the latitude indicates. The warming effects of westerly winds and the Gulf Stream flowing along its coast leads to a temperate climate.
With the great latitudinal range, the north is considerably cooler than the south, while the interior is cooler than the west coast. The interior highlands have an Arctic type of climate in winter with snow, strong winds and severe frosts, but warmer summer times where temperatures can rise above 30°C with long hours of sunshine. By contrast, the coastal areas have comparatively mild winter conditions. Gales, rain and cloud are likely along the west coast, particularly in winter, and the rainfall is frequent and heavy.
Norway is the land of the midnight sun in the North Cape area, with 24-hr daylight from the middle of May to the end of July, during which the sun does not set. Conversely, there are long winter nights from the end of November to the end of January, during which the sun does not rise.
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