Daily Helsingin Sanomat (HS) reports that temperatures will drop dramatically in southern Finland with a return to winter on its way after the summer-like warm sunny weather enjoyed on May Day, which was a public holiday in Finland. HS also issues a warning that driving conditions on Friday in many parts of Finland will be dangerous owing to snow and sleet showers.
”It’s advisable to prepare for the worst or very bad driving conditions at the end of the week owing to snow flurries and slippery roads,” writes HS, citing the Finnish Meteorological Institute. For Thursday there’s a weather warning in effect for Kainuu and Koillismaa, where it has rained and temperatures hover near zero degrees Celsius.
On Friday driving conditions will be poor owing to snow and sleet in many municipalities, including Kainuu, Northern Ostrobothnia, central and eastern Finland. As such, the risk of accidents is high and there will likely be traffic disturbances, writes HS.
”It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that roads will be slippery if it snows,” sergeant Timo Männikkö of the Oulu police department told HS.
From Arctic weather to the Arctic Council
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be in Finland attending the Arctic Council meeting in Rovaniemi on May 6 reports tabloid Ilta-Sanomat.
Along with six indigenous permanent participant organisations, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States are members of the Council, which coordinates Arctic policy. The council has become more relevant in recent years as sea ice thaws are opening up new trade routes and intensifying competition for the area’s oil, gas and mineral resources.
According to Ilta-Sanomat, the goal of next week's meeting is to approve the Council’s strategy and sign the Rovaniemi Process on climate issues.
Stolen baby found
A baby kidnapped from a hospital in Central Ostrobothnia was found, reports Iltalehti.
The tabloid cites the Northern Ostrobothnia police department, who say that an infant taken from a Kokkola hospital has been found.
”This happened some time ago,” police commissioner Tomi Mansikkamäki of the Northern Ostrobothnia police department told Iltalehti. According to Mansikkamäki, a criminal report was filed on 17 April.
Few details about the case are available and the Kokkola hospital would not comment on the case to Iltalehti.