A WEATHER OBSERVATORY STATION IN UTSJOKI has recorded the second-highest temperatures ever seen in Lapland today, with the mercury hitting 33.5 degrees Celsius. The temperature reading is the highest seen in the region since at least 1914, when temperatures hit 34.7 degrees Celsius.
The heat record comes amid weeks of soaring temperatures in Finland's northernmost region, where average temperatures for this time of year typically range between 16 to 20 degrees Celsius. Today's temperatures are the latest in a string of broken heat records, with various parts of Finnish Lapland repeatedly reaching new highs over the course of the past few summers.
The previous June was already the warmest on record for Finland as a whole, while the coming days and weeks suggest an extended heatwave with no end in sight. Health authorities have given numerous warnings for heat stroke, dehydration, and blue-green algae outbreaks.
Adam Oliver Smith - HT
Image Credit: Lehtikuva
