Thousands of lightning strikes hit Sweden during severe storm; barn fire suspected

A powerful storm swept across southern Sweden, triggering approximately 4,000 lightning strikes, with the most intense activity reported in Småland and extending towards southern Gästrikland. The capital, Stockholm, experienced both rain and hail. Near Haninge, south of Stockholm, a barn caught fire, with rescue services suspecting a lightning strike as the cause, according to Aftonbladet.

The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) issued a yellow warning for heavy, rain-like downpours in eastern Svealand and southern Gävleborg on Sunday. The storm was expected to move away from the mainland by around 6 PM, shifting towards Gotland.

In unrelated news, a football match in the Allsvenskan league between Kalmar FF and Örgryte IS in Kalmar was temporarily halted due to lightning. The game resumed after more than fifteen minutes.

Meanwhile, a separate report detailed the dropping of an investigation into a woman employed by the Swedish Defence Radio Agency (FRA). The probe was closed partly because the FRA chief's decision prevented ten employees from testifying about sensitive information, Expressen reported. The woman had been suspected of aggravated unauthorized possession and aggravated data intrusion, arrested in a high-profile operation by the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) in Stockholm in 2023. Documents obtained by the newspaper revealed that FRA Director-General Björn Lyrvall had decided in November 2025 to limit what ten employees, who were potential witnesses, could disclose, citing national security. The decision effectively barred them from discussing highly sensitive information, which is classified for 95 years.