Temperature record in Finland after 50 years: Even 30 degrees was enough to scare

Finland is enduring its longest heatwave in over 50 years, with temperatures surpassing 30 degrees Celsius for 14 consecutive days. According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the temperature in the eastern region of Parikkala reached 30.3 degrees Celsius on Friday, setting a new record for the longest period of consecutive days with temperatures above 30 degrees.

The previous record was set in June and July 1972, when the country experienced 13 consecutive days of such high temperatures. The institute stated on X (formerly Twitter), “This is the longest consecutive period of temperatures exceeding 30 degrees since records began in 1961.”

Longer and More Frequent Heatwaves:
The Nordic country is currently in the midst of what is being described as an “exceptionally long” heatwave in some regions. Ville Siiskonen from the Finnish Meteorological Institute noted that while it is not immediately clear whether this heatwave is a direct result of climate change, detailed studies would be needed to determine the cause.

However, Siiskonen emphasized that global warming is making such weather events more frequent and prolonged: “Heatwaves will be longer and may occur more frequently.”

This new record comes just after the Lapland region in northern Finland, Norway, and Sweden experienced its hottest summer in 2,000 years in 2023. Scientists have stated that climate change has increased the likelihood of such extreme summer seasons by approximately 100 times.