FMI: Finland sees “exceptionally warm” July as global temperatures hit record highs
Temperatures in Finland during July were higher than normal, with central and northern parts of the country “exceptionally warm”, according to data released by the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI).
The north of Finland saw average temperatures last month of between 15.5 and 18 degrees Celsius, which is 2-3 degrees higher than normal. The average temperature for the rest of the country was 17 to 19.5 degrees Celsius, or about 1.5 degrees higher than the long-term average.
A total of 20 ‘heatwave’ days were recorded in Finland during the month of July, which means a reading of 25 degrees or more was recorded in at least some part of the country. This figure is about 20 percent higher than the normal July level, with Finnish Lapland in particular seeing an increase in the number of heatwave days.
“The greatest number of hot days — a total of 14 — was measured in Kevo, Utsjoki,” FMI’s press release stated. “In north-east Lapland, the number of hot days has been unusually or exceptionally high.”
The highest temperature registered in Finland last month was 30.4 degrees, which was measured at Hiekkapakka, in Lappeenranta, on 26 July.
Finland’s unusually warm July aligns with global trends, as the end of July was the second warmest month in the world’s measurement history, informs the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the average global temperature in July was 16.91 degrees Celsius, which is just 0.04 degrees lower than the hottest month on record — June 2023.
The Copernicus service also noted that July saw the two hottest days ever recorded, with the average global temperature hitting 17.16 and 17.15 degrees Celsius on 22 and 23 July respectively.
Related stories from around the North:
Arctic: Warming climate changing CO2 balance in northern ecosystems: study, Eye on the Arctic
Canada: Makivvik launches climate adaptation strategy for Nunavik, Eye on the Arctic
Greenland: Alarming, above-average ice loss in Greenland due to rising temperatures, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Experts urge policy overhaul to address climate tipping point risks, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: Polar heat record. July average above 10°C, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Another year of shrinking glaciers predicted in Sweden’s Far North, CBC News
United States: Bursting ice dam in Alaska highlights risks of glacial flooding around the globe, The Associated Press
