Finnish Lapland sees highest November temperature in nearly 50 years
The weekend will be chillier, but clear skies are expected in many areas.
The temperature in a Lapland village reached 11.9 degrees Celsius on Friday morning, breaking a nearly 50-year record.
The exceptionally mild temperature for November was recorded in the village of Nellim, on the shore of Lake Inari in the municipality of Inari.
Before Friday’s temperature reading, the last time Lapland was that warm in November was in 1975, when the mercury rose to 11 degrees.
Temperatures in other parts of Finnish Lapland were also unusually mild for the season, with readings of 10 degrees seen in central and northern areas.
It’s not only warm in northern parts of the country, as nearly all of Finland was seeing temperatures nearing 10 degrees on Friday.
Conditions are mostly sunny, but there are some patches of precipitation in the north, with drizzle and local showers also possible in Lapland. Foggy conditions were also due in parts of North Karelia and Kainuu.
According to Yle’s meteorologist, winds will pick up in Lapland on Friday, with stronger gusts expected on Saturday as wind speeds could rise to up to 25 metres per second.
Conditions will be quite clear over the weekend across much of the country. On Saturday, the sun will shine in most parts, particularly central areas, but it will likely be cloudy with possible light showers along the southern coast.
Sunday will see similar clear conditions, but it will be cloudier in southern and western areas, with possible drizzle. The day’s high temperatures will be up to five degrees Celsius, according to the forecast.
According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), October was milder than usual in Finland. The situation was similar in September, when Finland saw temperatures exceeding 25 degrees for a record eight days. FMI reported that June, July and August were also warmer than usual.
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
