Finland recorded a new record level in May, having witnessed an "exceptional" 15 days during which temperatures exceeded the official threshold for heatwaves in the country, according to the Institute of Meteorology. Over the course of these 15 days, temperatures exceeded 25 degrees Celsius in the Scandinavian nation, part of which lies within the Arctic Circle. The last recorded record in Finland dates back to 2018 when temperatures exceeded 25 degrees Celsius for 14 days.
Mika Rantanen, a climate researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, stated, "It is exceptional to see this number of hot days in May." He noted that temperatures are expected to remain above 25 degrees on Friday as well, meaning that May will see a total of 16 hot days. He pointed out that the unusually high temperatures, which are about 10 degrees Celsius above the average for May, could indicate that next summer will be hot, increasing the risk of wildfires and droughts. He mentioned, "May 2018, which was exceptionally hot, proved to be an indicator of a very hot summer."
He considered that such weather results from a persistent high-pressure system over Northern Europe for several weeks, in addition to the phenomenon of climate change. He warned that extreme weather events, such as heatwaves around the world, "will worsen as long as greenhouse gas emissions continue."
