Cooler May weather for Finland but spring still warmer overall

Finland experienced a warmer-than-average spring overall—until May arrived and with it, dipping temperatures just below the seasonal norm, the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) said.

“May was cooler than the average for the reference period, which broke a 12-month streak of warmer than average months,” the FMI said in a statement. “However, the entire spring from March-May was warmer than usual in almost the entire country.”

In all, average May temperatures ranged from a mild 9 C in southern Finland to a brisk 4 C in Northern Lapland. While Lapland saw temperatures about 1 C warmer than usual, most of the rest of the country went in the other direction at around 1 degree below average.

May temperature dip

In May, the nationwide average temperature was 7.4—0.3 C cooler than the long-term average from 1991 to 2020. This made May the first cooler-than-usual month since April 2024.

The last time May was cooler than average was in 2021.

The highest temperature recorded was 23 C on May 25 in Ilomantsi in North Karelia

Meanwhile, the coldest temperature logged was -10.4 C on May 5 in Enontekiö in Lapland.

Snow, rainfall in North

Early in May, snow depths in Central and Northern Lapland exceeded 50 cm, with Kilpisjärvi reaching over 120 cm. Snowfall May 3-5 was heavier than usual in eastern Lapland and Kainuu.

By month’s end, only Kilpisjärven Kyläkeskus had remaining snow, at 33 cm. Välikangas in Kuusamo recorded the highest precipitation in May, with 81 mm while Kalajoki had the day’s heaviest rain on May 2 with 41.1 mm

In contrast, southern Finland and parts of Lapland, especially the Käsivarsi region, experienced drier conditions, with some places receiving just 7 mm of rain.

Thunderstorms slow to arrive

Lightning activity was low in May, with just 865 ground discharges recorded—far below the monthly average of 6,600.

“The spring was warmer than usual in nearly all parts of the country, with only Northern Lapland remaining close to the normal average temperature,” the FMI said. “Spring was unusually warm in western Finland, and even exceptionally warm on the southern coast.”

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