Press releases from the Finnish Meteorological Institute

Spring started with a cool April

Eija Vallinheimo — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:10:00 GMT

Spring started with a cool April

14.5.2012 14:10

Measurements conducted by the Finnish Meteorological Institute show that, in the whole of Finland, the mean temperature for April 2012 was somewhat lower than usually, ranging from slightly over +3° C in Southern Finland to just under -4° C in Enontekiö, Lapland.

Photo: Tuija Vuorinen

In most parts of the country, the mean temperature differed from the long-term average for April by 1 to 2 degrees. Furthest in the southwest, however, temperatures were close to the long-term average. The highest temperature for the month was 17.1° C, measured in Artukainen, Turku on 22 April, while the lowest temperature, -28.7° C, was measured in Kevojärvi, Utsjoki on 2 April.
Thermal spring proceeded slowly in early April, but at the end of the month it had already reached Central Lapland, which is more or less normal. Thermal spring begins when the mean daily temperature rises permanently above 0° C.

More rain than usual

In most of Finland, precipitation for April was 40–60 mm. The least rain was measured in Lapland, where in some areas the figure was under 30 mm. When compared against the long-term average, there was clearly more rain than usually in almost all of Finland. In the Åland Islands, on the coast of Ostrobothnia and in some parts of Southern Lapland, there was twice as much rain as normally.
Among individual observation stations, the greatest rainfall was measured in Jomala, the Åland Islands, which had 73 mm of rain. The least rain, 21 mm, was measured in Kilpisjärvi, Enontekiö. The highest daily precipitation was 26.2 mm, measured in Klemettilä, Vaasa on 20 April.

An exceptional amount of snow remaining in Western Lapland

The Finnish Meteorological Institute’s measurements show that in early April, a continuous blanket of snow covered all but the westernmost areas of the country. At the end of the month, the continuous snow cover had receded to a line extending from Kainuu to the Bay of Bothnia. In Western Lapland, the snow cover at the end of April was exceptionally thick for the time of the year; the thickest snow, 100 cm, was measured in Kenttärova, Kittilä.
Some places received over 20 cm of snow during a heavy snowfall in Pirkanmaa on 2 April. The snow cover measured in Härmälä, Tampere on the next day was 47 cm, or the thickest for the entire winter season.

For its monthly weather data, the Finnish Meteorological Institute has started using the statistics calculated for the years 1981–2010 as the normal period. The change in mean temperatures between the normal periods 1981–2010 and 1971–2000 is the greatest in April. During the new normal period, the mean temperatures for April in the whole of Finland are 0.5 to 1.0 degrees higher than the mean temperatures for the previous normal period. In many places, the mean for the highest temperatures in April has risen more than one degree. Especially in Southern Finland, precipitation figures for April are lower than during the previous normal period.

Additional information on the statistics from the Climate Service Centre, climateservice@fmi.fi

Closer meteorological cooperation between Central Asian countries and the FMI

Eija Vallinheimo — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:08:00 GMT

Closer meteorological cooperation between Central Asian countries and the FMI

14.5.2012 14:08

The Central Asian countries Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan are participants in the Finnish Meteorological Institute's project strengthening regional cooperation for the development of education and meteorological services.

The project is an ICI project funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and one of its most important objectives is to improve adaptation to climate change The Finnish Meteorological Institute is currently involved in many projects aimed at developing local expertise and ability to provide real-time weather and climate services.

The objective of the workshop held this week at the Meteorological Institute is to help Central Asian countries to be better prepared for adapting, among other things, to the impacts of climate change. Participants at the meeting represent the management of the countries’ hydrometeorological institutes.

“We are happy to be involved in development cooperation with Central Asian countries. We are particularly grateful that we have participants from all five countries in this event,” Project Manager Irma Ylikangas of the Finnish Meteorological Institute explains.
The Institute’s role is to export Finnish know-how to the countries and to increase cooperation on meteorological education between the countries.

Training and modernisation of equipment

The programmes aimed at adaptation to climate change in Central Asian countries continue to be one priority of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs because climate change may have serious consequences in these countries. Thus, the funding reserved for development cooperation in this region will remain the same in coming years.

The project goal is to improve the countries’ hydrometeorological services, thereby making them better prepared for natural disasters caused by the weather. Many former Soviet states need assistance, in particular, with modernising observation equipment and with training workers. The project to be carried out in 2011–2013, focuses on these issues.

“The aim is to strengthen the capacity of the WMO Regional Training Centre in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and to arrange pilot training on today’s measurement technologies and on matters pertaining to weather services. Representatives from all five countries have the opportunity to take part in training,” Irma Ylikangas points out.

“Increased know-how and investments in observations, information systems, forecast models and in the production of services for various customer groups typically repay society ten times over,” says Petteri Taalas, Director General of the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

Additional information:

Project Manager Irma Ylikangas, irma.ylikangas@fmi.fi

Spring arrived in April despite cooler temperatures

Eija Vallinheimo — Thu, 03 May 2012 09:13:00 GMT

Spring arrived in April despite cooler temperatures

3.5.2012 12:13

The national average temperature in April was +0,2 °C which is 0,8 degrees below average. In southern and southwestern parts of the country the monthly temperature was close to the long term average, but cooler elsewhere.

Photo: Tuija Vuorinen

The highest temperature +17,1 °C was measured in Turku on the 22nd of April. The lowest temperature -28,7 °C was measured in Utsjoki on April 2nd.

Precipitation amounts were above average throughout the country; in some western locations over twice the monthly average was recorded. On April 2nd a small scale snow event brought around 30 cm of snow in one day, bringing traffic to a standstill in Tampere, the third largest city in Finland.

By the end of the month, snow covered the northern part of the country. In Western Lapland the snow depth was unusually high for the time of year: for example in Kittilä the snow depth was still around 100 cm at the end of the month.

More information:

http://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/climate

Spring has begun in the sea – R/V Aranda's cruise begins

Eija Vallinheimo — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:16:00 GMT

Spring has begun in the sea – R/V Aranda's cruise begins

11.4.2012 9:16

Researchers from the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) and the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) set out after Easter on a research cruise to the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Proper to investigate the importance of the algal bloom to the capture of carbon and nutrients.

Photo: Stefan Simis

During the ten-day cruise measurements and samples for research that supports the development of models that describes the impact of climate change are taken. The material will also be used for improving the interpretation of satellite observations of algal blooms.

While the remote parts of the Baltic Sea are still frozen over, spring has already started to colour the waters green in the south. The short-lived spring bloom of marine algae will progress north and grow in the cold waters as soon as sunlight, and for as long as nutrients, are available.

The oceans are an important sink for the carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere but the increasing carbon dioxide also leads to the acification of the seas. The exchange of the carbon dioxide between the sea and the atmosphere is not yet well understood and consequently affects the accuracy of climate and ecosystem models. Physical oceanographers of FMI will collect data to study the exchange processes and especially the role of waves in the carbon dioxide exchange during this biologically active season. SYKE ecologists measure the uptake of nutrients and the use of the still scarcely available sunlight for photosynthesis. Eventually, they aim to formulate accurate models of the sea ecosystem, that predict what will happen to the marine food web in a changing climate. Also, the measurements will be used to improve the interpretation of the satellite images that are used to monitor the algal blooms in the nutrient-rich Baltic Sea.

When the spring bloom subsides, the sea clears up for a short spell while zooplankton grazes and bacteria digest the first algae harvest of the year. What they don't catch, will sink to the bottom. Scientists from SYKE will take sediment samples from the sea-floor to study biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus in the open Baltic Sea. Samples will be analysed to examine sediment properties that affect phosphorus binding to the seafloor or, in contrast, its release from sediments to the water.

Further information:

Air-sea interaction studies: chief scientist, senior scientist Heidi Pettersson, FMI, tel. 040 5601534
Ecological studies, algal blooms: senior research scientist Stefan Simis, SYKE, tel. 040 1823319
Sediment chemistry: senior research scientist Kaarina Lukkari, SYKE, tel. 040 1823249

Chief editor, Web services Aira Saloniemi
SYKE´s communications, Baltic Sea issues
Tel. 0400 148875

March was warmer than average

Eija Vallinheimo — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:12:00 GMT

March was warmer than average

10.4.2012 14:12

Spring-like temperatures arrived early to the western parts of the country, but the progress slowed down considerably by the end of the month.

Photo: Eija Vallinheimo

The national average temperature in March was -3 °C which is 1,9 °C above average. Relative to average values, the warmest areas were in the northwest and the coolest were in the east.

The highest temperature +15,8 °C was measured in the Åland Islands on the 22nd of March. In the past 50 years higher March temperatures have been measured only three times: in 1990, 2002 and 2007. The lowest temperature -27,7 °C was measured in Salla on the last day of the month.

By the end of the month the snow cover had receded from the southwestern parts of the country. However over a meter of snow was still left in some parts of Northern Finland.
Monthly precipitation varied across the country. The values were mostly near or below average.

More information:

http://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/climate

Vegetation cover affects the speed of snowmelt in tundra regions

Eija Vallinheimo — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:18:00 GMT

Vegetation cover affects the speed of snowmelt in tundra regions

4.4.2012 11:18

Climate change has increased vegetation in Arctic tundra regions. According to a recent study, the increase in vegetation in tundra regions may further accelerate global warming.

Photo: Juval Cohen

The main objective of the study conducted by the Finnish Meteorological Institute was to use satellite observations for determining how the amount of vegetation affects snowmelt and thereby terrestrial albedo in the Arctic tundra regions. Satellite observations were collected from snowmelt periods (March–June) in 1995–2011.

“The study revealed that vegetation was thicker in Norway. One reason is that reindeer grazing is more intensive in Finland. The findings also indicated that snow almost always melted earlier in Norway than in Finland,” says Research Scientist Juval Cohen of the Finnish Meteorological Institute. With the exception of the differences in vegetation, the other prevailing conditions, such as temperature, precipitation and solar radiation, were almost the same in both countries. The difference in the melting of snow between Finland and Norway affects the albedo on land. During the snowmelt period, the albedo was almost always higher in Finland.

“Reducing vegetation or retaining the bare tundra would postpone the melting of snow in spring. This, in turn, could possibly slow down global warming,” says Cohen interpreting the findings of the study.

Snow melts earlier in spring

Owing to global warming, snow melts earlier in spring than it did a few decades ago. The earlier melting of snow has a major impact on the reflectivity, or albedo, of land areas. The albedo on land contributes to Earth’s energy balance, since it determines the ratio between solar radiation reflected by surfaces and radiation absorbed by surfaces. Snow has a considerably higher albedo than bare ground because snow is bright and reflects most of the incoming sunlight back into space. In contrast, snow-free ground is much darker and absorbs most of the incoming solar energy.
Global warming has also moved the tree line towards the north and has increased vegetation in Arctic tundra regions because plants can now survive in places that would have been too cold before. Reindeer husbandry also affects vegetation growth in the tundra regions of Lapland. More intense reindeer grazing reduces vegetation on the ground because the reindeer both eat and trample the plants. In some areas, the differences in vegetation on the two sides of fences separating grazing grounds are so great that they are clearly visible in satellite images.

The study calculated the difference in the solar energy absorbed in Finland and in Norway during the snowmelt period, in order to obtain a better idea of the impact of albedo on Earth’s energy balance. According to the calculations, the amount of solar radiation absorbed in Norway was greater than in Finland, owing to a lower albedo.
“In April and May in Norway, an area of 100 x 100 kilometres absorbs about 100,000 terajoules more solar radiation than a corresponding area in Finland. This is enough energy to melt an ice cube roughly 330 x 1,000 x 1,000 metres in size.

Additional information:

Juval Cohen, Research Scientist, tel. +358 50 376 4128, juval.cohen@fmi.fi
http://www.ncoetundra.utu.fi/

The Arctic region offers opportunities for Finnish know-how

Eija Vallinheimo — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 05:38:00 GMT

The Arctic region offers opportunities for Finnish know-how

12.3.2012 7:38

Climate change has a major impact on the Arctic region's development Domestic and international cooperation provide opportunities for various actors.

Photo: Eija Vallinheimo

Owing to global warming, the Northern sea routes are gradually opening for commercial traffic. Increased marine transports in the Arctic Ocean and exploitation of the natural resources in the area are also an opportunity for Finnish know-how. The Finnish Meteorological Institute offers various ice, weather and marine services that benefit transports in the area.

New vistas for multi-purpose icebreakers

Arctia Shipping Ltd has chartered out its multi-purpose icebreakers Fennica and Nordica to Shell Offshore for three summer months. They will operate in the Beaufort Sea and the Chukchi Sea.

“Our vessels were chartered specifically to ensure that the circumstances for operations are safe,” says CEO Tero Vauraste of Arctia Shipping Ltd.

The three-year contract, valued at tens of millions of euros, will bring work to some 150 shipping professionals. This means that ship investments will be in efficient, year-round use. Operations in the Arctic region have attracted great international interest.

“Naturally we share the concern that the local population and environmental organisations have for the state of the Arctic environment. Among other things, we participate in the work done by the Arctic Council to prevent oil spills,” Vauraste says.

Arctia’s vessels have sailed in the waters of, for instance, Alaska and Greenland on previous occasions, too.

Sea ice thickness determined by means of satellite data

According to estimates, at its smallest the average ice cover on the Arctic Ocean measured 4.5 million square kilometres in 2011. This is the second lowest figure since the 1970s, when these measurements began.

“The reduction is in line with global warming,” says Jari Haapala, Head of Group at the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

Satellites are the only possible means of monitoring ice conditions in large marine areas almost in real-time. Aside from the area covered, the amount of sea ice depends on ice thickness. To determine the thickness of ice cover, the Finnish Meteorological Institute uses and develops various remote sensing methods for image-producing synthetic aperture radars (SAR), radiometers operating in optical wavelengths, and altimeters.

“Measuring the thickness of sea ice is more challenging than measuring the area of the ice cover. Different instruments work best for different ice types. The same satellite cannot measure both thin, new ice and ice that has grown several metres thick over many years,” says Research Scientist Eero Rinne of the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Examples of ice thicknesses measured in a variety of ways are available from the Baltic Sea, the Kara Sea and from the whole Northern Hemisphere.

Environmental observation in the Arctic areas

The Finnish Meteorological Institute uses satellite-based radar data for the remote sensing of snow cover in Northern regions and ice cover in the Baltic Sea. “Owing to global warming and the shrinking ice cover, remote sensing of the ice cover in Arctic marine areas will become increasingly important in the future,” says Research Scientist Jyri Heilimo of the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

The Institute’s international satellite reception station in Sodankylä receives and processes measurement data from several satellites observing the environment. Measurement data are provided for meteorologists and atmospheric ozone research. The new satellite dish with a diameter of 7.3 metres can receive measurement data from modern research satellites designed to measure land surface and sea areas irrespective of the weather and cloudiness.

During the past hundred years, mean temperatures in the Arctic areas have risen nearly twice as much as the global mean temperature.

Additional information:

Tero Vauraste, CEO, Arctia Shipping, tel. +358 46 876 7100
Jari Haapala, Senior Research Scientist, Finnish Meteorological Institute tel. +358 9 1929 6406
Eero Rinne, Research Scientist, Finnish Meteorological Institute tel. +358 50 448 7681
Jyri Heilimo, Research Scientist, Finnish Meteorological Institute tel. +358 50 568 0802

The Finnish Meteorological Institute begins a cooperation project in Central Asia.

Eija Vallinheimo — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 07:11:00 GMT

The Finnish Meteorological Institute begins a cooperation project in Central Asia.

9.3.2012 9:11

The Finnish Meteorological Institute has launched a cooperation project in Central Asia. The project aims to strengthen the capacity and cooperation of the hydrometeorological institutes of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Photo: Ljubov Nevvonen. From the left: Project Manager Irma Ylikangas of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, Director General Victor Evgenyevich Chub of Uzhydromet, and Finnish Ambassador to Uzbekistan Tuula Yrjölä.

Central Asian countries prone to natural disasters

Central Asia is highly vulnerable to natural disasters. Weather conditions wreak damage repeatedly. In mountainous areas, heavy rains cause unpredictable and very challenging landslides, avalanches and floods. For instance, this year a city of 20,000 inhabitants had to be evacuated because of floods in Uzbekistan.

The project aims to increase know-how among the hydrometeorological institutes of all five countries and to raise preparedness for weather-related natural disasters, which will become more frequent because of climate change. Efficient weather and climate services help to manage the adverse effects of climate change and extreme weather events on the economy and human life. In addition, the cooperation partners in Uzbekistan are assisted in modernising their institute and revising its development strategy.

For the official project kick-off, Tuula Yrjölä, Finnish Ambassador to Uzbekistan, gave a reception in Tashkent on 24 February 2012. The project’s first important regional event will take place on 3 and 4 May, when the Directors General and experts of the five Central Asian countries’ hydrometeorological institutes will visit Helsinki at the invitation of the Finnish Meteorological Institute. A workshop will be arranged on the development needs of the national hydrometeorological institutes and on regional cooperation. The regional component also includes the modernisation of the weather observation equipment at a training centre in Tashkent, which will serve as the site for a pilot project where training will also be offered to meteorological personnel from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. The training centre is recognised as one of the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) Regional Training Centres. WMO has recognised more than 20 Regional Training Center all around the world.

Funding from the ICI instrument for development cooperation

The project will continue until the end of 2013. Funds will be received from the development cooperation appropriations of the Unit for Eastern Europe and Central Asia of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The project is implemented utilising the Institutional Cooperation Instrument (ICI) and as part of the Wider European Initiative (WEI) framework programme supported by Finland. The programme reinforces the efforts of countries in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia in the sectors of democracy, rule of law, human rights, comprehensive security and the environment. The initiative emphasises regional prevention of conflicts, support for peace processes and environmental cooperation.

The ICI promotes direct cooperation between government actors in Finland and in partner countries. The aim is to strengthen the know-how of government agencies and institutes in developing countries.

At present, the Finnish Meteorological Institute carries out regional ICI projects with Caribbean island states and bilateral ICI projects in Peru, Vietnam, Nepal and Sudan. Apart from ICI projects, other projects are underway in Latvia, Kazakhstan, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Pacific islands, Macedonia, Kosovo, Russia and China.

Additional information:

Finnish Meteorological Institute, Consulting Services:
Irma Ylikangas, FINUZ Project Manager, tel. +358 40 749 7132
Ministry for Foreign Affairs: Sirpa Rajasärkkä, Programme Officer, tel. +358 9160 55698

Institutional Cooperation Instrument (ICI): http://formin.finland.fi/Public/default.aspx?nodeid=40157&contentlan=1&culture=fi-FI

Wider Europe Initiative http://formin.finland.fi/public/default.aspx?contentid=237470&nodeid=15452&contentlan=2&culture=en-US
Finnish Meteorological Institute’s expert services: http://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/international-consulting-services

The Finnish Meteorological Institute helps Sudan to produce better weather and climate services

Eeva-Kaisa Heikura — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:47:00 GMT

The Finnish Meteorological Institute helps Sudan to produce better weather and climate services

27.2.2012 10:47

Working in cooperation with the Sudan Meteorological Authority (SMA), the Finnish Meteorological Institute launched a project funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Photo: Alessandro Chiariello

The aim of the cooperation is to develop the SMA’s organisation and human resources so that the SMA can produce and convey more advanced weather and climate services for various sectors of society. The project also supports the ongoing large investment project for modernising the observation network in Sudan. As part of the project, the Finnish Meteorological Institute’s experts train their Sudanese colleagues, for instance, how to operate and service modern weather observation instruments and how to utilise the data obtained for supplying society with increasingly better products and services.

The project also includes a separate segment of assistance to South Sudan, which is helped to develop an independent weather service.

Adaptation to climate change another focal area

The project led by the Finnish Meteorological Institute is entitled: “Promoting Adaptation to Climate Change by Reducing Weather and Climate-Related Losses through Improved Services in Sudan – FISU”. It also strengthens the SMA’s capacity to conduct research, for instance, on climate change. Risk management and adaptation to climate change are means of improving tolerance to any consequences arising from extreme climate events. Reducing vulnerability and exposure to weather factors is an important element in adaptation to climate change. In Sudan, too, provision for risks associated with the weather and climate requires additional changes to the existing technical and administrative systems.

Additional information:

Harri Pietarila, Head of Unit, tel. (09)1929 5432; harri.pietarila(at)fmi.fi

The Finnish Meteorological Institute to adopt a new normal period for climate statistics

Eeva-Kaisa Heikura — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:20:00 GMT

The Finnish Meteorological Institute to adopt a new normal period for climate statistics

8.2.2012 13:20

The Finnish Meteorological Institute has calculated climate statistics for a new normal period based on weather observations made between 1981 and 2010.

Photo: Hannu Manninen

The recent statistics describe the prevailing climatic conditions and form an important base for interpreting the current weather conditions and for monitoring the weather. Climate statistics are also used in research and decision-making, especially in sectors dependent on the weather and the climate.

Climate statistics are calculated globally using weather observations ranging over a 30-year period. The official normal period set by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is 1961–1990. However, it is recommended that the statistics be updated, whenever possible, once every ten years. In Finland, the previous update took place ten years ago.

Statistics on various weather factors for individual observation stations

Monthly means and ranges of various weather factors, such as temperature and precipitation, during the new normal period 1981–2010 were calculated for dozens of weather observation stations. Also other data, such as the times when one thermal season changes over to the next and the duration of snow cover, were determined for the new normal period.

The statistical values for temperature at individual observation stations during the new normal period 1981–2010 are typically slightly higher than those during the previous normal period 1971–2000. In the new normal period, the annual mean temperature for the whole of Finland is almost 0.4° C higher than in the previous normal period. The observed rise in temperature is fairly consistent with estimates based on models describing the impact of climate change in Finland.

For precipitation, variation from year to year is greater than for temperature; thus, the differences between the normal periods are not as clear, either. However, the average annual precipitation is slightly higher in the new normal period than in the previous normal period.

Adoption of the new normal period

The new normal period has been adopted in Climate Services, but in practice the maps, tables and other data on our website are being updated gradually throughout the year whenever the information is relevant.

There is one major exception to the adoption of the new normal period. So far, the normal period for calculating the heating degree day is still 1971–2000, because that is the period specified, for example, in the legislation concerning energy certificates of buildings.

See additional information