Finland Sees First 30°C Temperature of the Year as Early Heatwave Hits North Karelia

Finland recorded its first temperature above 30 degrees Celsius this year on Wednesday, as thermometers climbed to 30.2°C in the eastern municipality of Ilomantsi, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

The temperature was measured at the Mekrijärvi weather station in North Karelia, marking one of the earliest occasions on record that Finland has crossed the 30-degree threshold.

The Finnish Meteorological Institute said that only two years in recorded history, 2014 and 2021, experienced temperatures above 30°C earlier than this year.

The unusually warm conditions come as much of Finland continues to experience a strong early-summer heatwave, with high temperatures reported across several parts of the country.

Weather experts say such early spikes in temperature remain relatively rare in Finland, where summer heat above 30°C is typically seen later in the season, if at all.