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Economic Times
3 days ago
- Climate
- Economic Times
Arctic no more? Finland breaks record with 14 straight days over 30°C in shocking heatwave
Reuters Finland breaks heat record with 14 straight days above 30°C during 2025 heatwave, causing dry soil and forest fire warnings across the country. Finland has broken a national weather record with 14 days in a row over 30°C, said the Finnish Meteorological Institute. This new record beats the old one from 1972, which had 13 straight hot days, according to the report by Helsinki Friday, the temperature hit 30.3°C in Parikkala, confirming the 14th hot day in a row. This is now the longest and hottest heatwave ever recorded in Finland since 1961. Meteorologist Jani Sorsa said Finland has broken two records: A nationwide streak of days over 30°C. A local streak in Ylitornio's Meltosjärvi, where it was over 25°C for 15 days. That local record was also last set in 1972. On Friday, almost the whole country was hot, except for far northern Lapland, where it stayed a little cooler. West coast areas felt some relief from sea breezes, but most parts stayed dry and hot, according to the report by Helsinki Times. ALSO READ: Ozzy funeral: Where does Sharon Osbourne want to bury the iconic singer? Here's the place she has identified The reason for the heat is a strong high-pressure system that's been sitting over Finland for two weeks. Anniina Valtonen said the weather pattern has been slow-moving, which is why the heat hasn't left. Because of no rain, the top layer of soil is now very dry, and there are warnings for heat and forest fires all over Finland. The heatwave will likely continue through Saturday, and temperatures may cross 30°C again. But by Sunday, rain and thunderstorms are expected in Lapland and eastern Finland. More rain and thunder could spread from Satakunta to Ostrobothnia and the northeast by Sunday. Valtonen said a low-pressure system is coming, which might end the heatwave. If Saturday reaches 30°C again, the streak could grow to 15 days, but Sunday is uncertain, as per the report by Helsinki Times. No national emergency yet, but local authorities are warning people to stay safe, especially elderly people and those with illnesses. Swimming pools and beaches are packed, like Leppävaara pool in Espoo and Hamina of fans and air conditioners have gone up, as people try to stay cool. Coastal towns had a little break thanks to sea winds, but inland cities like Parikkala, Joensuu, and Seinäjoki saw the highest temperatures, according to the report by Helsinki Times. ALSO READ: JD Vance torches Microsoft for axing US jobs while doubling down on H-1B visas Ville Siiskonen said that southeastern and Northern Ostrobothnia areas felt the if the heatwave ends, next week will still be warm, but temps may drop below 30°C. Q1. How long has Finland's heatwave lasted? Finland's heatwave has lasted 14 straight days with temperatures over 30°C, setting a new national record. Q2. What caused the long heatwave in Finland? A stable high-pressure system over Finland caused the heatwave by keeping the weather hot and dry for two weeks.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Father Christmas' official Lapland home suffers unseasonal heatwave with 31C temperatures and wildfire fears
Father Christmas ' official home village in Lapland has suffered a record-breaking heatwave, as fears mount that wildfires will ravage the area with increasing frequency. The Arctic city of Rovaniemi in northern Finland, Lapland's capital and home to Santa Claus, has been melting amid unprecedented heat in the region. Lapland, which is 500km above the Arctic Circle, has seen temperatures soar to 31C, more than 10C above the seasonal average. The level of consistent heat has never been experienced in the region before and reindeer have even been forced to flee into roads and villages to escape mosquitos. A heatwave in Finland is defined as at least three days in a row where the temperature exceeds 25C. Friday was the 14th consecutive day that temperatures climbed past 30C in the country - the first time since record began in 1961, the Finnish Meteorological Institute said. Ylitornio and Sodankylä recorded the highest temperatures of 31.7C in Lapland earlier this week, while wildfires have ripped through the wilderness north of Rovaniemi. Lapland is a sparsely populated region and fires can burn for long periods before help arrives. But emergency services responded to dozens of incidents this week, including smoke sightings, building fires, and wildfires. Some schools and nurseries have seen outdoor activities cancelled and health officials have told people to stay hydrated in Rovaniemi. The excessively hot weather has sparked added concern about climate change in the Arctic. The polar region is heating up five times quicker than the global average, the UNs intergovernmental panel on climate change said. 'Due to climate change, these sorts of heatwaves in Lapland are expected to become longer and more intensive over this century, Ville Siiskonen, of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, told The Telegraph. Finland is not alone in feeling the heat as scorching temperatures continue to boil Europe, with two people dying in Cyprus as wildfires raged through the country. The Acropolis in Athens was also closed as temperatures soared past 40C. Meanwhile, England and Spain recorded their hottest ever June's last month. The Met Office said June's mean temperature of 16.9C was a record,while Spain's average of 23.6C 'pulverised records', the national weather service Aemet said.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Finland breaks 50-year heat record with 14 days over 30C
People enjoy the warm weather at the Ounaskoski Beach in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland. (Pic credit: AP) Helsinki: Finland has broken an over 50-year-old weather record as the country is witnessing the longest period of temperatures above 30C, the Finnish Meteorological Institute said on Friday. As Parikkala in eastern Finland hit 30.3 Celsius before midday, this meant that temperatures have now soared to 30C in parts of the country 14 days in a row, breaking previous record of 13 consecutive days from June and July 1972. "This is the longest period of consecutive days with temperatures exceeding 30C since records began in 1961," the institute wrote on X. The Nordic country is in the midst of a period of warm weather that the institute has described as "exceptionally long" in places. Meteorologist Ville Siiskonen at the Meteorological Institute said: "Periods of warm weather will be longer and there can be more of them."
Gizmodo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Gizmodo
Reindeer Flee to Cities as the Arctic Bakes in Unprecedented Heatwave
For two straight weeks, Finland has been roasting under record-high temperatures. The country is facing its most intense and persistent heatwave in its recorded history, which has brought beach weather to towns above the Arctic Circle. Friday marked the 14th consecutive day that at least one part of Finland reached a temperature above 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Local weather stations across the country have also reported record-shattering temperatures. Only some parts of Lapland, in the northernmost region of Finland, were spared the record-breaking heat. The heatwave comes as the Arctic is warming at four to five times the pace of the rest of the world, with Finland and other Nordic countries seeing increases in the annual air temperature that exceed the global average. In Finland, mean annual temperatures are projected to rise by up to 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit (3.5 degrees Celsius) by 2050. Finland typically sees temperatures ranging from 59 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (15 tio 20 degrees Celsius) in July, its hottest month. 'The last time Finnish Lapland had a similarly long heatwave was in 1972,' Jaakko Savela, a meteorologist at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, told BBC News. That heatwave only lasted 12 to 14 days, depending on the exact location. 'That record has now been broken.' Finland's official heatwave threshold is three days with highs over 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius). The heatwave has left much of the country's surface soil parched, prompting the Meteorological Institute to issue wildfire warnings across large areas. Air conditioner sales have surged. Even the country's famed reindeer are feeling the heat, and many have reportedly fled into cities in search of cooler temperatures and water, the BBC reports. A slow-moving high-pressure system lingering over northern Europe is to blame for the sweltering heat, and a severe high-temperature warning is still in effect for most of Finland. That's expected to change Saturday, when thunderstorms are forecasted to hit large swaths of the country, although temperatures could still reach as high as 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius). Warm temperatures are expected to persist into next week but likely won't be nearly as high. The warmest temperatures in the nation, a balmy 90 degrees (31.7 degrees Celsius), were recorded in Ylitornia and Sodankylä, both in Lapland, earlier this week. That's roughly 18 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) warmer than the region usually gets. The heat wave has prompted renewed concerns about the impact of climate change on the world's colder regions. Savela notes that this heatwave was not caused by climate change, but global warming has led to increased temperatures. 'Climate change has had an impact: without it, temperatures over the last two weeks would have been lower,' he told the BBC. Even Father Christmas himself, who resides in Santa Claus Village, a theme park in Rovaniemi, Lapland's capital, had to remind his elves to stay hydrated, according to the BBC.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Climate
- Telegraph
Santa Claus village is melting in heatwave
The official home town of Father Christmas has been hit with a record-breaking heatwave, stoking fears that wildfires that have swept across Lapland will become more frequent. The Arctic city of Rovaniemi in northern Finland – usually associated with snow and the winter holidays – has been melting in the hot weather. Temperatures in Lapland, a region that crowns the tip of Norway and where it snows for seven months a year, have been hitting highs of 31C, more than 10C higher than the seasonal average. Ville Siiskonen, of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, said that while temperatures above 30C were unusual – 'a once in 10-year event' – the length of the heatwave was exceptional. 'For 15 consecutive days, the daily maximum temperature has exceeded 25C. This is the longest since records began in the early 1960s,' he told The Telegraph. The previous record was set in 1972 when a heatwave lasted 14 days. The extreme heat is expected to last till early next week. The highest temperature of the heatwave, 31.7C, was recorded at two locations, Ylitornio and Sodankylä, earlier this week. However, the hot weather has led to renewed concern over the fast pace of climate change in the Arctic, which is warming up to five times faster than the global average, according to the UN's intergovernmental panel on climate change. 'Due to climate change, these sorts of heatwaves in Lapland are expected to become longer and more intensive over this century,' Mr Siiskonen said. Emergency services have also been dealing with several dozen fast-spreading wildfires in the wilderness further north of Rovaniemi this week. Due to the size and remoteness of Lapland, fires often burn for long stretches before firefighters can arrive on the scene. Finnish authorities have warned the population that the risk of wildfires remains high. In Rovaniemi, schools and nurseries have cancelled some outdoor activities, authorities have told residents to check on their elderly neighbours and health officials are warning people of the need to stay hydrated. Despite the limited chaos, Sanna Kärkkäinen, managing director of Visit Rovaniemi, said that the heat has not affected the city's most popular tourist destination. 'The weather has certainly surprised locals and tourists,' she told The Telegraph, but the Santa Claus Village, where visitors can meet the man himself, 'remains open seven days a week'. Lapland's reindeer, with their thick coats, are suffering in the heat and are also being attacked by mosquitoes. The animals, which mostly roam freely, have been trying to move to higher ground or travel into villages or to the beach in search of relief. Toivo Koivu, a resident of Rovaniemi who has just finished travelling through southern Europe, said he was shocked to return to such heat. 'We thought that when we would come back to Finland it would be cooler, like normally, but no, it was the same weather as down south,' Mr Koivu told Reuters. It comes as other parts of Europe this summer have been gripped with heatwaves and wildfires. In June – which was the hottest June on record globally – authorities in Spain, Portugal, Greece and France were forced to issue extreme heat warnings as temperatures went above 42C.
