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Voters brave the elements, new cold record in Salla

Voters are braving extreme cold weather on Election Day. A new cold record of -40.7 degrees Celsius was recorded in the early hours of Sunday in Naruska, Salla.

Äänestyspäivän auringonnousu Helsingin edustalla.
Kuva Helsingin edustalta. Image: Mikko Ahmajärvi/YLE

Southern Finland has also been in a deep freeze. The mercury plunged to below -30 degrees at the weekend, setting cold records for the South this winter.

In Lappeenranta’s Konnunsuo the temperature fell to -37 degrees, while Helsinki was chilled to -25 degrees, as measured in Kaisaniemi.

On Sunday, the cold has brought disruptions and delays to long-distance train-traffic, including the Allegro service between Helsinki and St. Petersburg. However, road traffic has been moving mostly as normal.

According to YLE meteorologists, severe cold weather is set to continue in most of the country. South of the line running between Helsinki and Vaasa the skies will get cloudier, with southerly winds picking up. These changes will bring up the mercury to temperatures of less than -10 degrees Celsius.

Treacherous roads in the capital region

The Finnish Meteorological Institute has issued a warning to drivers in the capital region.

Very bad road conditions are expected on Sunday evening in western parts of Uusimaa province because of snowfall and the rising temperatures.

There are bad road conditions in the provinces of Varsinais-Suomi, Satakunta, southern Ostrobothnia and Ostrobothnia due to snowfall and warming weather.

Sources: YLE