At least two more weeks of very warm temperatures are expected in Finland, and there is a good possibility that the heat wave will continue for another two weeks after that.
The independent weather service European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) predicts abnormally warm temperatures for Finland until at least August 19.
"For the most part, it will be sunny and very warm. Temperatures will approach 30 degrees Celsius in the west and central areas," confirms Yle meteorologist Anne Borgström.
In the coming week, the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) warns of uncomfortably hot temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday south of Oulu, continuing into Friday and Saturday in areas south of Lahti.
Not used to the heat
After several rainy and chilly summers, Finnish residents have had to adjust to the seemingly-perpetual sunny skies and high temperatures this season has provided. Whereas in the past Finns would celebrate summer days that saw the mercury surpass the magical 25-degree 'helle' ('hot') mark, this summer has seen them keeping a tally of the days in which the temperatures have exceeded 30 degrees Celsius.
This year in July, for example, the capital city of Helsinki had a six-day streak of 30-degree days that lasted from the 15th to the 21st. Peak temperatures have hovered between 31.1 and 33.3 degrees Celsius there.
FMI statistics that go back to the year 1961 show that the longest consecutive period of hot weather in Finland was recorded in 1972 in the northern town of Inari, where high temperatures were recorded for eight days straight, from June 30 to July 9.
Temperatures never got as high as 30 degrees Celsius last summer, and the year before only saw it happen on one day in the southeast city of Kouvola.
In 2010 Finland's inhabitants enjoyed 30 days of over 25-degree temperatures, with 12 days that saw temperatures soar past 30 degrees Celsius in south-eastern Puumala. The days were not back-to-back, however, and so the Inari record stands. If the 2018 heat wave continues for another month, like the ECMWF has predicted, its days may be numbered.
Much of Europe, North America, Asia and North Africa is experiencing record-breaking heat this summer, with Britain's Met Office saying this could be the country's hottest summer on record.