Record from 1972 falls as intense heatwave continues across the country
Finland has recorded 16 straight days of temperatures exceeding 30°C, setting a new national weather record and surpassing the previous mark from 1972, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
The threshold was crossed again today in Parikkala (61°33’N) in the south east of the country, where temperatures reached 30.2°C. The previous record for consecutive days above 30°C, set in 1972, stood at 13. The new milestone makes this the most intense and sustained heatwave in Finland’s recorded weather history, which dates back to 1961.
In addition, a good number of local records have been broken with the data from the Ylitornio’s Meltosjärvi station (66°19’N) in the north west, being notable, where temperatures remained above 25°C for 15 consecutive days breaking a record dating back to 1972.
Nearly the entire country has been affected by the higher than normal temperatures heat with the exception of parts of far northern Lapland and on the west coast where sea breezes brought some relief.
The atmospheric conditions have been driven by a stable slow moving high-pressure system lingering over the region. The long period without rain has left much of Finland’s surface soil extremely dry. The Meteorological Institute has issued heat and forest fire warnings across large parts of the country.
As of the end of last week, Finnish officials had not announced any heat-related emergency measures, but local authorities across southern and central regions have urged caution, particularly for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.
