Lapland temperature of -39°C marks year’s coldest day so far in Finland

The lowest temperature readings in Finland so far this year, -39°C at Muonio in Finnish Lapland, and -37.5°C in Kuusamo in Northern Ostrobothnia, were recorded during the morning hours on Thursday.

Low temperatures are expected to continue nationwide throughout Thursday and into Friday as a high-pressure area moves in from the east bringing more frigid air into the country.

Temperatures are forecast to drop further in eastern and central regions on Thursday evening and the early hours of Friday, according to Yle meteorologist Joonas Koskela.

“Juuka [in North Karelia] recorded -33°C before noon. It may be getting colder. Tomorrow in the east, the cloud cover will start to increase and the cold will ease a bit,” Koskela said.

Cold temperature warning in effect 

In southern Finland, temperatures will fall during the evening and night. On Friday, the thermometer is likely to show readings below -20°C in the south of the country, all the way down to the coast.

There is a warning of dangerously cold temperatures in effect for the whole of the country, with the exceptions of the Åland Islands and northern Lapland.

By the weekend, the severely cold temperatures will ease in many areas.

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“In the south, Saturday is still a pretty cold day, but after that temperatures will start rising,” Koskela added.

However, according to the ten-day forecast temperatures even in southern parts of the country will stay below freezing.

This story is posted on The Barents Observer as part of Eye on the Arctic, a collaborative partnership between public and private circumpolar media organizations.