Historic temperature peaks in dry, cool July for Finland
July 2019 will be remembered for breaking records for both freezing nights and blistering days at Finland’s meteorological measuring stations. The equipment at Ylivieska airport measured a nighttime low temperature of -1.7 degrees Celsius, while Porvoo’s Emäsalo station clocked in at 33.7 degrees Celsius in the daytime – the highest temperature ever recorded at that site.
The Finnish Meteorological Institute’s longest-running observation hub in Kaisaniemi, Helsinki also broke its previous record high as the July sun bore down, raising the air temperature to 33.2 degrees Celsius.
Temperatures of more than 25 degrees were observed on only 13 days, which is three days below the long-term average.
Subzero summer temperatures were also frequent in Finland, with seven frosty nights measured at the Möksy station in Southern Ostrobothnia, western Finland.
FMI data shows that July was also drier than usual, with between 1 and 90 mm of rainfall collected. Central and northern regions experienced the least rain in 30 years.
Not only that, but the swimming waters in lake-rich Finland have also begun to cool down extremely quickly.
Measurements taken from Pääjärvi lake in Karstula, Central Finland showed surface temperatures of 26 degrees on Sunday; on Wednesday the temperature had plummeted to just 16 degrees Celsius.
The hotter days in July initially warmed surface waters to the balmy twenties, but August lake temperatures have quickly fallen below long-term averages.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Water levels unusually low across Beaufort Delta region, in northwestern Canada, CBC News
Finland: Cooler summer weather has positive effects in Finland, Yle News
Norway: Temperatures on Svalbard have been above normal for 100 straight months, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: June heat wave hits Northern Europe, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Small fires break out due to dry conditions, Radio Sweden
United States: Temperatures nearing all-time records in Southcentral Alaska, Alaska Public Media
