News
The article is more than 3 years old

Sunny spell set to continue, but rain clouds loom in the forecast

A low pressure front is forecast to hit Finland on Thursday, bringing rain showers and a drop in temperatures.

Padelin pelaajia Hernesaaren rannassa aurinkoisena ja lämpimänä kevätsunnuntaina Helsingissä 18. huhtikuuta.
Finland's all time record temperature for the month of April was recorded in the city of Jyväskylä in 1921, when the mercury hit 25.5 degrees Celsius. Image: Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva
  • Yle News

The warm and sunny start to the week is expected to continue into Tuesday and Wednesday, but a low pressure front is forecast for Finland on Thursday, bringing rainfall and a dip in temperatures.

However, a bit of rain can be quite a welcome change to the current conditions, according to Yle meteorologist Anniina Valtonen.

"Rainfall is welcome in the sense that it cleanses the air and moisturises nature. When you get a little precipitation, the outdoors could even start to get a little green," Valtonen said.

At present, air quality in many parts of Finland is rated as fair or satisfactory, due to the amount of street dust and pollen in the air. Sunsets and sunrises have looked particularly red in recent days due to dust in the air.

The Finnish Meteorological Institute has also issued a grass fire warning for many regions in the south, as the danger of outdoor blazes is heightened due to the dryness of the soil.

This year's heat record was broken on Saturday when a temperature of 18 degrees Celsius was recorded in the town of Kaarina, near Turku, in the southwest of the country.

However, this is still a long way off the all-time record for April, when the mercury hit 25.5 degrees Celsius in the Central Finland city of Jyväskylä in 1921.

Valtonen added that the current heat cycle, which has lasted about a week, has seen temperatures higher than usual for this time of the year. Typically, the highest daily temperature in mid-April for southern and central parts of the country is about 10 degrees, while the average is about 5 degrees in the north.