The morning dip on Sunday was a healthy experience to say the least for Ulla Ljunggren in Simrishamn. The thermometer in the water showed only five degrees.
– I got a shock, it was like taking a cold bath, she says.
Ulla Ljunggren has been a seasoned year-round swimmer for many years. But to experience a cold bath in July is not the norm.
Twice she checked the thermometer to see if it was indeed correct.
– This has never happened once since I started measuring. It must be a cold record, she says.
The wind controls the heat in the water
According to Oskar Åslund, oceanographer on duty at SMHI, it may be the phenomenon of “upwelling” that is behind the chilly bathing water in southern Skåne.
– It is very cold, he says.
When the sea winds pull in towards the land, the cooler deep water also follows – and the lovely bathing temperature is as if blown away.
– It has been very windy in the last 24 hours and that means the water is cooler along the coast, says Oskar Åslund.
“You wake up to”
The thermometer always accompanies Ulla Ljunggren when she bathes. Before she could even check the temperature gauge on Sunday, she realized that the water was colder than usual.
– I immediately noticed from my breathing and the tingling sensation in my legs that “today is cold”, she says.
In recent years, winter swimming has become a popular trend, with many people stuck to submerging themselves in almost freezing water.
Ulla Ljunggren believes that the effect of the Sunday morning dip is similar to that of a cold bath.
– I woke up and it gave an extra gear. The morning fatigue disappeared and I was in a good mood, she says.