TEMPERATURES are forecast to drop across Finland on New Year’s Eve, reports YLE.
Matti Huutonen, a meteorologist at YLE, on Thursday stated that temperatures are to fall a few degrees below zero in southern, about five degrees below zero in central and up to 15 degrees below zero in northern parts of the country.
“The turn of the year will be largely overcast in Southern and Central Finland. A few centimetres of snow may fall overnight in the southwest and south. In Northern Lapland and the Oulu region, the year will end in clear weather,” he said.
“The best outlook for fireworks is in the north. In the south, cloudiness may limit the visibility of fireworks.”
A northern wind will bring cold air, keeping temperatures comfortably below the freezing point also on Saturday. The mercury is expected to stay about five degrees below zero in the south, five to 10 degrees below zero in central parts and 10 to 20 degrees below zero in the north, with wind chill making the weather feel noticeably colder.
“Year 2022 will start in clear and sunny winter weather in large parts, except for areas on the eastern border. It’ll be cloudier in the area stretching from North Karelia to Eastern Lapland,” summarised Huutonen.
People travelling to other parts of the country to welcome the new year, he added, should bear in mind that snowfall is expected to make road conditions challenging today.
“When you’ve had solid sub-zero temperatures and get snow, road surfaces quickly become slick and very slippery. The road base can be so cold that you can’t use salt to keep it thaw. These are challenging days for road maintenance,” explained Huutonen.
Another low-pressure front is forecast to arrive in Finland on Sunday.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
