Mixed May weather in northern Finland

Lapland experienced mixed May weather, with exceptional warmth in the eastern part of the region and more rainfall than usual in the North, the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) says.

The average temperature in northern Lapland was 5-7C and in the central and southern part of the region it was 7–9C.

In other parts of Finland, the average temperature was 9–11C.

The highest temperature of the month was 25.1C recorded in two places; Kankaanpää in southern Finland on May 22 and then in Hattula, also in the South on May 24. The lowest temperature, -13.4 C, was recorded in Enontekiö in the Arctic on May 3.

“The average temperature for all of spring, March-May, varied between about five degrees Celsius on the south coast to just about four degrees below freezing in the north-west arm of Finnish Lapland,” the FMI said.

“The average temperature was close to normal throughout the country; southern parts were slightly warmer than usual.”

Rain in Arctic

The Lapland community of Inari clocked the most rain for the month at 61mm.

For a single day, the highest amount of precipitation measured was also in the Arctic when 39.7mm was measured in Pulju, Kittilä on May 17.

But the picture elsewhere in Lapland was different.

“In a large part of the country, the rainfall in spring was normal or slightly higher than usual,” the FMI said. “Certain places in South and Central Lapland received less precipitation than usual.”

Several centimeters of snow were measured at observation stations across northern Finland even at the mid-month mark, but had melted by the time June rolled around.

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Related stories from around the North: 

Norway: Heatwave hit Europe’s Arctic coast, The Independent Barents Observer

Sweden: High risk of wildfires in many parts of Sweden, including North, Radio Sweden