The Arctic town of Salla has earned the title of ‘In the Middle of Nowhere’ – famed for its wilderness made up of snowy forests which spread for miles.
Here temperatures have dropped as low as -50C in the past, often breaking records for the coldest Finnish winters.
But recently the weather in Salla, where the world’s oldest ski was found, dating back over 5,000 years, has become far more unpredictable.
The 3,400 residents – who are greatly outnumbered by the reindeer in the area – are so worried about their future they made a fake bid to host the summer Olympics in 2032.
While other cities might have the infrastructure, Salla is living on the frontline of the climate crisis.
I travelled to the town in Lapland, which is experiencing some of the most radical variations in climate – warming nearly three times faster than the rest of the planet.
The town’s mayor, Erkki Parkkinen, said: “Weather here has become more unpredictable.
"Some days we can have -30C and two days later it’s plus some degrees.
"In autumn snow comes later. It can be raining, then minus degrees and ice. The reindeer cannot get food.
“If we do nothing, letting global warming prevail, we will lose our identity, and the town we love will cease to exist as we know it.”
Using a heat-exhausted reindeer as their Olympic mascot, one resident says in their promotional video, “I’ve never felt warmth before, but I’m sure it’s coming.
“In 12 years the ice will be gone and this will be a perfect lake,” said another.
“I can’t wait for the snow to melt,” said a third, wielding a surfboard.
Erkki added: “We are concerned about climate change and also because we live here in the Arctic Circle and we see the changes that are happening.
“We want the winters to be like they used to be – real winters.”
