After a cool and rainy week, warmer weather is forecast to spread across the country towards the weekend.
On Thursday, rain will continue across southern and southeastern parts of the country, with thunderstorms possible in the southeast. Showers are also expected in parts of Lapland, while central Finland will see a mix of cloud and sunshine.
By Friday, conditions will improve across most of the country. Sunshine is expected in many areas, with temperatures exceeding 20 degrees Celsius almost nationwide. Parts of Ostrobothnia could even experience hot weather.
June heat highlights climate trend
The warmer forecast comes after Europe experienced one of its hottest Junes on record.
According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), June brought record-breaking heat across much of western Europe, while average sea surface temperatures in non-polar oceans reached their highest June level ever recorded.
While Finland avoided the extreme heat seen elsewhere in Europe, June was still warmer than usual. Average temperatures were 1-2 degrees above the long-term average across most of the country, and 13 hot days were recorded nationwide, compared with a typical June average of eight.
"An increase in heat waves and temperature records are being observed all over the world. In Europe, this has led to an increase in heat-related deaths, water shortages, crop losses and increasing wildfires," said Petteri Taalas, Director General of FMI.
Senior researcher at FMI, Joonas Merikanto said the latest records are not isolated events but part of a rapidly warming climate.
Cleaner air also contributes
Merikanto said one factor behind Europe's recent heat is cleaner air.
In the past, air pollution reflected some sunlight back into space and made clouds more reflective, masking part of the warming caused by greenhouse gases. As air quality has improved, more of that underlying warming has become apparent.
He stressed that reducing air pollution remains essential because of its significant health benefits.
According to the latest Indicators of Global Climate Change assessment, human activity has warmed the planet by about 1.37 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Europe is warming faster than any other continent, and while emissions growth is beginning to slow globally, current measures remain insufficient to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.