Strong winds sweep Finland on Tuesday

On Tuesday morning, winds in parts of Finland intensified to dangerous levels as a low-pressure system approached from the northeast. The most severe gusts were expected in western Finland and over sea areas, with gusts potentially surpassing 20 metres per second. Although winds in the west would gradually subside in the evening, the weather would remain gusty throughout the day.

Frequent rain accompanied the strong winds, with some regions experiencing more than 20mm of precipitation overnight. Conditions were expected to improve in the south by the afternoon, although scattered showers would continue to affect central and northern areas. Daytime temperatures ranged from 5 to 15 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

Cooler air would descend into the north in the evening, potentially bringing sleet showers to northwestern Lapland. Strong winds had knocked out power to approximately 2,000 households, primarily in western Finland. On Monday evening, the Lapland rescue service rescued two hikers from the wilderness in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park.

Wednesday was forecast to be largely dry, with sunshine breaking through across much of the country. However, strong, gusty winds would persist in the north and parts of the east, while temperatures would be a couple of degrees lower than on Tuesday.