September standout month for Finland in overall warmer 2023
A record-warm September stood out amongst some of the warmer-than-usual months Finland experienced in 2023, Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI said).
Last year, the country experienced an average temperature of around 3.2 C, exceeding the 1991‒2020 period average by 0.3 C.
January, February, August, and September recorded temperatures above the average, while March, July, October, and November saw cooler-than-average temperatures.
“The greatest deviation from the long-term average was found in the southern coast regions, where the weather was about half a degree warmer than the reference period average,” the FMI said in a report on Monday.
“In the area extending from Ostrobothnia to the western part of North Ostrobothnia, the average temperature was close to the reference period average.”
- Year’s highest temperature: 33.6 C in Pyynpää in Rauma in southern Finland on Aug. 7
- Year’s lowest temperature: -37.5 C at Kittilä Airport in Arctic Finland on March 24
- Lowest precipitation: 423.3 millimetres in in Kevo, Utsjoki in Arctic Finland
- Highest precipitation: 1,066.5 millimetres in Nurmes in central Finland
Arctic saw lowest precipitation, lowest temperature
The lowest temperature of -37.5 C was recorded on March 24 in the northernmost part of Finland at Kittilä Airport.
The lowest precipitation was also recorded in Lapland in Kevo, Utsjoki.
Precipitation elsewhere in Lapland was average, or slightly more than usual, depending on the area.
(Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images for European Athletics )
The central Finnish municipality of Multia received the most precipitation in a single day on July 28.
“In a large part of the country, the annual precipitation was clearly higher than usual,” the FMI said.
“Especially in Central Finland, the rainfall was unusually large in many places, in some places even exceptional. The rainy months during the year included July and August.”
Colder, snowier December
December was marked by average temperatures of between -1 degrees Celsius in Finland’s south-western archipelago and -14 degrees in Lapland’s North.
The month’s average temperature was approximately 2–4 C below the 1991–2020 average.
The month’s lowest temperature was -33.1 C on Dec 7 in Kevojärvi in Lapland, with the highest temperature of the month at 6.8 C on Dec 19 on Bogskär in Kökar off southwestern Finland.
As for snow, there was more of it in numerous locations around the country.
“Almost the entire country was covered by snow throughout December, and the snow level was in many places unusually high,” the FMI said.
“Snow-free areas were found mostly on the southwest coast for a few days during the Christmas week.”
Northern and eastern Finland generally accumulated between 40‒60 cm of snow, with the deepest snow, measured at 76cm, recorded on Dec 26 in Kenttärova Lapland.
Elsewhere in the country, the southwest had 0‒20 cm of snow, while the west had 20–40 cm.
Comments, tips or story ideas? Contact Eilís at eilis.quinn(at)cbc.ca
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Hot and dry July saw temperature records topple in the Yukon, CBC News
Finland : Record average September temperatures stretch into Northern Finland, Eye on the Arctic
Greenland: Alarming, above-average ice loss in Greenland due to rising temperatures, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: Polar heat record. July average above 10°C, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: After icy record last week – Kvikkjokk is now Sweden’s warmest place, Radio Sweden
