Published 21.56
TARGET LILLA. Moose live like hippos and a tractor driver is both ice cold and hot.
Solstice prevails in Målilla in Småland.
– It has been unbearable, says Emma Adolfsson after a football match.
The sand sprays as the tractors roar across the motorway Target purple.
The speedway team freaked out and canceled today’s practice in the heat. The tractor race, on the other hand, went off as planned.
The thermometer shows 222 degrees when pointed at the tractor’s exhaust system. Even hotter is perhaps Torbjörn Håkansson, 43, who drove home first place.
– I am quite calm when I drive. It hasn’t been that dangerous, it’s a bit windy, he says.
– We thought of going here because it would be a heat record, but it was cool and nice.
Maybe it blows the most for you because you drive the fastest?
– Yes, it can be so.
In 1947, the Swedish heat record was set in Målilla with a whopping 38 degrees. Kenneth Bogren, now 85, was there when it started.
– Absolutely, but I don’t remember it, he says.
“We are hardened”
Hot summer days are nothing new for Målilla. The place is often mentioned when heat records come up.
– We are hardened, man.
Today, Rosenfors IK celebrates 100 years. Kenneth Bogren played himself in the club in the 50s and 60s. Emma Adolfsson, 32, is chairman of the association and really sweaty after 1-6.
Turning 100 years old: “A little warm maybe”
You can take a big loss when you turn 100.
– It’s a fantastic day – maybe a little warm.
On the substitutes’ bench is a bucket of water with which the players cool off. One of them is sitting in the grass with a wet towel over his head.
How was it to play?
– You shouldn’t play football when it’s 35 degrees, says Emma Adolfsson.
Off the field, however, she appreciates the warmth.
– It is fantastic to live in such a small cave that is so warm.
The moose have settled in the water
At Målilla moose park, the king of the forest has adopted the lifestyle of the hippos.
– They live more or less in the water during the day. Then they go in slow motion to the shade and lie down, says Hjalmar Österberg, 55.
He runs the park together with his wife Maria. For the moose, the same routine applies all day: bathe, eat, rest – and rehearse.
The moose start bathing at 25 plus degrees and are generally resistant to both cold and hot temperatures, says Hjalmar Österberg.
Life as a hippopotamus seems to suit them.
– They love water.
Longing for beer: “Heron”
Finn the moose, 7, does not want to answer questions. After another dip, he puts in a bunch of raw potatoes.
Hjalmar Österberg himself has longed for a cold beer for several hours. There are always new things that need to be done.
– Now it looms. I’ve bought a new beer fridge so it’s extra fun to have a beer, he says.
On Saturday, the temperature reached around 34 degrees. The record from 1947 will stand for a while longer.
