Heaviest rain and thunderstorms will likely be seen in Lapland this week
The ongoing stretch of hot weather in Finland has raised the temperature of inland waters across the country, with some reaching record highs, according to Syke, the Finnish Environment Institute.
The temperatures of North Savo’s Lake Pielavesi and the Pielisjoki River reached record highs last week. On Sunday, the lake’s surface temperature measured 26.3 degrees Celsius while the river’s water reached 25.2 degrees.
Tuesday marked the 18th day in a row of temperatures exceeding 30 degrees somewhere in Finland. That outpaced the 1972 record of 13 days of 30-plus-degree weather, which had stood since data collection began in 1961.
The Finnish Meteorology Institute (FMI) reported that the record was again broken in the municipality of Lieksa, in North Karelia, where the temperature reached 30.3 degrees on Tuesday afternoon.
Warm spell to continue
According to the FMI, the warm weather is set to continue this week, including at night.
However, it told news agency STT that temperatures below 20 degrees are only expected in the far north of Lapland.
This week’s local thunderstorms and showers are also expected to continue in many parts of the country. The heaviest rain and thunderstorms will likely be seen in Lapland and western parts of the country, according to the FMI’s forecast.
Rain may also be in store in eastern parts of Finland, a region which has been subject to extensive wildfire warnings. Rescue services in North Karelia said on Monday that the risks of wildfires in the area were at an historic high.
It will also be relatively warm at night this week, with temperatures above 20 degrees expected in many areas.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Fires restricted in much of Yukon as weather warms, CBC News
Finland: Cooler May weather for Finland but spring still warmer overall, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: Svalbard glacier once survived a warmer climate, The Independent Barents Observer
