City residents with umbrellas in Helsinki on a rainy day. Photo: Elsa Paakkinen / Lehtikuva
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Finland is set for a wet and windy start to July, with forecasters warning of storm-level gusts and heavy rain on Sunday.
According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, a large rain system will move across the country at the end of the weekend, bringing strong winds and possible thunderstorms.
Elias Paakkanen, meteorologist at Yle, said wind gusts are expected to be strongest from Uusimaa through Häme to Central Finland.
Outdoor events in southern and central regions may be affected.
“Winds will pick up as the system arrives on Sunday. There’s also a chance of thunderstorms,” Paakkanen said.
The unsettled pattern follows a cool and damp June. Forecasters expect more variability in early July, with alternating cool and warm periods. “It might be a bit on the cool side, but there may be the occasional day with more summery temperatures,” Paakkanen added.
The only break in the pattern is expected midweek, when warm air from Western Europe may briefly push into southern Finland.
Temperatures could exceed the national heat threshold of 25°C on Wednesday or Thursday in southern and central parts of the country. “Warm air will move into Western Europe on Tuesday and Wednesday, and a part of it may reach southern Finland,” Paakkanen said.
Extreme heat is forecast in much of central and southern Europe, with Berlin expected to hit 35°C midweek. By contrast, Finland has seen only two official heatwave days so far this year.
Despite complaints about cool conditions, June’s average temperatures have been close to normal. “We’ve had few warm days, but the nights haven’t been particularly cold either,” Paakkanen said.
No new temperature records are expected. The overall outlook remains unstable heading into the first week of July.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
