For example, the monthly average temperature at the Sodankylä Tähtelä observation station was –0.7 degrees, which is a new record in the 100-year observation history and exceeded the previous record from 1920 with as much as 1.5 degrees. In the current climate, such warm March occurs in Sodankylä approximately once every 60 years, but without the warming effect of climate change, its probability would only have been about once every 400 years. In other words, climate change made the average temperature of the month approximately six times more likely and increased the temperature by approximately 1.9 degrees. The information is based on a peer-reviewed method by the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the University of Helsinki.

The average temperature for the whole country in March was 1.1 degrees, which is also a new record. The previous record was from 2007, when the average temperature for the whole country was 0.0 degrees.

The highest temperature in March was 12.6 degrees, measured at Asemantaus, Heinola, on 22 March. According to preliminary estimates, the previously reported +13.2 degrees measured on the lighthouse roof at Kalbådagrund, in Porvoo, on 14 March, is not considered statistically valid.

The lowest temperature was –25.2 degrees, measured at Nuorgam, in Utsjoki, on 2 March.

In the East and North, many areas snow-free or with record-low snow levels

March was drier than usual, in the southern and central parts of the country, and rainier than usual in the north. The greatest amount of precipitation for March was 62,7 millimetres, recorded at the Kauppilankylä observation station in Teuva. The lowest amount of precipitation, 6.1 mm, was recorded at the Hanko Russarö observation station. The greatest precipitation in a single day, 14.8 mm, was recorded at the Kangasniemi village observation station, on 1 March.

The warm March caused the snow to melt rapidly throughout Finland, and at the end of March, the amount of snow was record low in many areas of Eastern and Northern Finland. On the last day of March, the snow cover had largely melted throughout the country, with the exception of Koillismaa and Lapland. In North Karelia, North Ostrobothnia and Kainuu, snow depth was 2–5 centimetres, in places, with the exception of Puolanka Paljakka, where the snow depth was 27 centimetres. In Lapland and Koillismaa, snow depth was approximately 20–80 centimetres, with the exception of the northernmost area of Kilpisjärvi, where snow depth was approximately 90 centimetres at the end of the month.

The number of sunshine hours was widely close to normal levels.

Further information:

Climate Statistics

Weather statistics from the Climate Service, tel. +358 600 1 0601 (€ 4.06/min + local network fee)

The highest temperature in February was 6.3 degrees Celsius, which was measured in Western Harbour, Mariehamn, on 28 February. The lowest temperature of the month. -35.8 degrees, was measured on the first of the month in Naruska, Salla.

High pressure kept rainfall low in February

The February precipitation levels were lower than usual in many places, as high-pressure weather prevailed in the Nordic region for a long time. In many parts of Lapland, precipitation levels were unusually low. The month’s precipitation varied from 5.9 millimetres at Nellim, Inari, to 46.9 millimetres at the Anjala observation station in Kouvola. The highest amount of precipitation within a 24-hour period, 27.2 millimetres, was measured at the Anjala observation station in Kouvola, on 26 February.

At the end of February, snow depth was below average in most parts of the country. It varied between a few centimetres in the southwest of the country and 88 centimetres in Pokka, Kittilä. In the eastern part of the country, snow depth deviated from the usual levels by as much as 20–30 centimetres. In most of Lapland, snow was slightly deeper than the average.

Apart from Lapland, the number of hours of sunshine was higher than usual in February.

The lowest temperature of the winter was measured in early January

According to the statistics of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the average temperature in winter, or December–February, varied from around -1°C in Åland to around -16°C in Northern Lapland. In the whole country, the average temperature was colder than usual compared to the long-term average in 1991–2020: the temperature deviation was roughly two degrees in most parts of the country, while in Lapland it was two to five degrees. In some parts of Lapland, winter was therefore unusually cold.

The lowest temperature in the winter months was -42.8°C, which was measured in Tulppio, Savukoski, on 9 January. The highest temperature was 8.9 degrees, which was observed at Mariehamn Airport on 10 December.

There was widely less rain than usual during this winter. Precipitation was lowest, 57 mm, in Laitala, Toholampi, and the highest in Jomalaby in Jomala, 166.6 mm. Precipitation levels were unusually low in some places during this winter.

During the winter months, the sun was shining almost a normal amount throughout the country.

Further information:

Climate Statistics https://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/statistics

Weather statistics from the Climate Service, tel. +358 600 1 0601 (€ 4.06/min + local network fee)

The highest temperature in January was 4.3 degrees, and it was measured in Lemland Nyhamn, on 17 January. The lowest temperature of the month was -42.8 degrees measured in Tulppio, Savukoski, on 9 January. This was the third coldest temperature recorded in Finland in the 2000s.

The low precipitation was reflected in the snow situation

Rainfall in January remained unusually or exceptionally low in many places. The month’s precipitation varied from 2.8 mm in Nuorgam, in Utsjoki, to 56.4 mm in Jomalaby. The highest daily precipitation, 16.6 mm, was recorded at the Långnäs harbour observation station in Lumparland, on 1 January.

In most parts of the country, rainfall in January was around 10 mm, which is roughly one quarter of normal. It was particularly dry in central parts of the country, where several observation stations recorded the lowest precipitation in their measurement history. The low precipitation areas included Jyväskylä Airport, Juupajoki Hyytiälä, Vieremä Kaarakkala and Lieksa Lampela, where the station’s measurement history extends over a hundred years.

The low precipitation is also visible in snow depths. At the end of the month, the central part of the country had unusually little snow, 10–30 centimetres below the average. The last time there was less snow in the least snowy areas this time of the year was in 2014. Only in Central Lapland was the snow depth above average.

The entire country had fewer hours of sunshine than usual.

Further information

• Climatological normal period

Weather statistics from the Climate Service, tel. +358 600 1 0601 (€ 4.06/min + local network fee)

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) transports heat to the North Atlantic and contributes to the relatively mild climate of the Nordic countries. Global warming is slowing down AMOC and although unlikely, it is possible that it could even stop at relatively low levels of global warming. Such a change could turn the climate of Northern Europe in a colder direction while the rest of the world continues to warm – the effects could be visible in food production, energy systems, and livelihoods, among other things.

“The AMOC is a key part of the climate system for the Nordic region. While the future of the AMOC is uncertain, the potential for a rapid weakening or collapse is a risk we need to take seriously,” says Aleksi Nummelin, Research Professor at the Finnish Meteorological Institute. “This report brings together current scientific knowledge and highlights practical actions for mitigation, monitoring and preparedness.”

Key messages from the report

• It is vital to push for vigorous mitigation that achieves decarbonization and net negative emission targets. Until we have better understanding of the likelihood of AMOC crossing a critical threshold (tipping point), and the level of global warming or timeframe at which this might occur, a precautionary approach should be assumed: Any additional warming, and any increase in duration of “overshoot” of 1.5°C increases the risk of AMOC collapse. Therefore, preventing further warming is crucial.

• Long-term funding should be secured to sustain and operationalize key observational networks, and build an AMOC early warning system that couples Earth observations with model simulations. This early warning system should be embedded in policy making processes to create rapid knowledge-to-action abilities. The new EU Ocean Act provides possibilities for coordinating this effort.

• The future of the AMOC is highly uncertain, but an AMOC collapse could trigger extreme impacts in the Nordic countries that differ from, and in part oppose, those expected from global climate change. It is essential to develop and adopt flexible climate change adaptation strategies that account for the region’s exposure to the impacts of AMOC weakening and would succeed across divergent future trajectories with and without AMOC tipping. Further, the potential collapse of the AMOC should be treated as a real and significant threat, to which comprehensive risk management frameworks are applied and integrated across all levels of governance.

Report brings together Nordic and international expertise

The report was initiated at the Nordic Council of Ministers sponsored ‘Nordic Tipping Week’ workshop, arranged on 21–24 October 2025 in Helsinki and Rovaniemi, Finland, as part of Finland’s Council Presidency theme resilience. The workshop brought together scientists working on different aspects of AMOC dynamics and its impacts, from physical oceanographers to social scientists.

The report was prepared in collaboration with scientists from a wide range of Nordic and international research institutions. The Finnish Meteorological Institute coordinated the work.

The workshop, and this report, were in part motivated by the Open Letter by Climate Scientists to the Nordic Council of Ministers presented in 2024. The letter suggested that the risk of an AMOC collapse might have been previously overlooked.

Further information:

Research Professor Aleksi Nummelin, Finnish Meteorological Institute, tel. +358 451 543 774

Email address is in the format forename.surname@fmi.fi.

Read the report A Nordic Perspective on AMOC Tipping.

Watch a video of scientists discuss Nordic Tipping Point below

East remained dry while west and north saw above-average rainfall

In most parts of the country, annual precipitation was normal or slightly higher than usual. However, in the central part of the country, precipitation levels were lower than average in the area east of Central Finland, and, in some places, even unusually low. This was particularly reflected in the exceptionally low water level in the Lake Saimaa water system. The highest annual precipitation was observed at the Paljakka observation station in Puolanka, where it rained 835,1 mm. Total precipitation was lowest in Haapaniemi, Viitasaari, where it was 445 mm. The highest amount of precipitation in a single day was 86 millimetres measured at Kotaniemi, Ruokolahti, on 18 June.

Lapland had plenty of snow in December

The average temperature in December 2025 varied between approximately +5 degrees Celsius in the Southwest Archipelago and -11 degrees in Northern Lapland. The average temperature was widely three to five degrees higher than the average temperature in the 1991–2020 reference period. In Lapland, the average temperature was mainly approximately 0.5 degrees higher than usual. The lowest temperature of the month, -35.3 degrees Celsius, was recorded at the village centre in Kilpisjärvi, on 31 December. The highest temperature of the month, +8.9 degrees, was recorded at the Mariehamn Airport, on 10 December. Precipitation levels in December were largely normal or slightly higher than usual. In Lapland and Kuusamo, the monthly precipitation levels were exceptionally high, in places, and station-specific rainfall records for December were broken, in places. For example, in Tähtelä, Sodankylä, December was the rainiest in 115 years of weather records, with a 79.5 mm total rainfall measured at the station. The month’s highest precipitation was 94.0 millimetres, and it was measured in Mustavaara in Ristijärvi, Kainuu. The lowest precipitation, 38.3 mm, was recorded at the Lepaa observation station in Hattula, Kanta-Häme. The greatest amount of precipitation in a single day was 25.5 millimetres, recorded in Sjunby, Siuntio, on 8 December. The ground remained covered in snow throughout December mainly in Lapland. After mid-December, almost all of Finland gradually got a snow cover, but towards the end of the month it melted on the country's southern coasts. At the end of the month, there was 0-15 centimetres of snow in the southern and central parts of the country and in the western part of North Ostrobothnia. Kainuu, Koillismaa and Lapland had 20–65 centimetres of snow. The largest snow depth in December was 70 centimetres, measured in Kenttärova, Kittilä, on 22 December. December saw a total of 18 to 25 hours of sunshine on the southern and western coasts, while in other parts of the country the sun shined mainly for 0 to 6 hours. Compared to the long-term average, the number of sunshine hours was typical for December. Central Finland saw unusually little sunshine, less than an hour in December.

Further information

• Climatological normal period

Weather statistics from the Climate Service, tel. +358 600 1 0601 (€ 4.06/min + local network fee)

Meteorologists use the word exceptional when the statistical likelihood of the occurrence of a weather phenomenon is on average three times or fewer in 100 years. A phenomenon is seen as rare when it occurs less frequently than once every ten years on average.

“Seasonality, such as the growing season and snow conditions, is known to be crucial for ecosystem functioning and the success of northern species. However, changes in bioclimatic extreme events have not been previously studied in a comprehensive way,” says research professor Juha Aalto from the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

In addition to rising average temperatures, Arctic terrestrial ecosystems are increasingly experiencing a range of extreme weather events, such as prolonged heatwaves, frost during the growing season, and warm winter spells. The extent and intensity of these changes vary across different parts of the Arctic.

Arctic regions face unprecedented climate conditions

The study shows that in many areas, some of the examined extreme weather events have only begun to appear in the past few decades. One example is rain-on-snow events. The researchers identified new regions affected by rain-on-snow events covering more than 10% of the Arctic land area. Rain falling onto snow creates particular challenges for mammals, as it promotes the formation of ice layers within the snowpack. For example, reindeer are then unable to access the lichens they rely on in their winter grazing grounds.

When looking at multiple types of extreme events together, the researchers found that at least one new extreme event has begun to occur across ca. one-third of the Arctic land area.

“This finding suggests that as the climate changes, Arctic ecosystems will be increasingly exposed to climate conditions they have never experienced before,” says Professor Miska Luoto from the University of Helsinki. “This may have significant long-term consequences for Arctic nature.”

The study also identified regions, so called hotspots, where changes in both seasonal conditions and extreme events have been especially strong. Such areas are found particularly in western Scandinavia, the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and central Siberia.

An improved picture of northern bioclimate change

The research used modern atmospheric reanalysis data, from which the bioclimatic variables were calculated. Reanalysis combines observations with a weather model, providing the best possible information on atmospheric and surface conditions. This is particularly valuable in remote regions where direct measurements are sparse, such as large parts of the Arctic.

Accurate, up-to-date information on bioclimate is needed for monitoring and predicting Arctic biodiversity, as well as to support climate change adaptation in societies.

The international study, led by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, involved researchers from the Universities of Helsinki and Jyväskylä, as well as from the United Kingdom and France.

Further information:

Research Professor Juha Aalto, Finnish Meteorological Institute, tel. +358 50 409 0963. Email address is in the format forename.surname@fmi.fi. Professor Miska Luoto, University of Helsinki, tel. +358 50 448 0241. Email address is in the format forename.surname@helsinki.fi.

The article is openly accessible.

Reference: Aalto, J., Kämäräinen, M., Rantanen, M., Niittynen, P., Phoenix, G., Lenoir, L., Maclean, I., Luoto, M. (2025). A new era of bioclimatic extremes in the terrestrial Arctic. Science Advances. In press. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adw5698

The average temperature in the autumn varied from about zero degrees in north-west arm of Finnish Lapland to +10 degrees along the country’s southern coast. The deviation of the mean temperature from the 1991–2020 reference period average was about one and a half degrees in Lapland, and over 2 degrees elsewhere. The highest temperature of the autumn, 25.8 degrees, was recorded at the Kärkkä observation station in Salo on 8 September. The lowest temperature, -31.6 degrees, was measured at Enontekiö Airport on 24 November.

Precipitation this autumn was largely normal or slightly higher than normal. The region form Kainuu to Southern Lapland saw significant rainfall, while the rainfall in the area close to the Eastern Border, in North and South Karelia, was less than average. According to preliminary data, precipitation was the highest at the Paljakka observation station in Puolanka, where the precipitation level was 323.6 millimetres during September-November. The lowest precipitation, 98.9 millimetres, was recorded at the Lintupuoliselkä station in Angeli, Inari.

Cold November in Lapland, mild weather elsewhere

The average temperature in November varied from about +6 degrees in the Southwest Archipelago to about −11 degrees in the northwest of Finnish Lapland. The average temperature in Lapland was approximately 2–3 degrees below the average for the 1991–2020 reference period. Elsewhere in Finland, the average temperature was 1–3 degrees higher than normal. The highest temperature of the month, 12.8 degrees, was recorded at the Hammarland Märket observation station on 5 November. The lowest temperature of the month, −31.6 degrees, was recorded at Enontekiö Airport on 24 November.

Precipitation in November was varied. Rainfall was lower than normal in the south and the northern reaches; the middle of the country saw much more rain.

The Koivuniemi station in Virolahti was the exception to the low precipitation in the south, measuring the highest precipitation in November at 161.6 millimetres. The station also measured the highest daily precipitation, 79.0 millimetres, on 16 November. This is also the new record daily rainfall for November in Finland. The previous record was 52.8 millimetres at Sarviluoma station in Isojoki in 1971, which broke clearly here.

Kaamanen in Inari had the lowest amount of precipitation in November at 19.1 millimetres.

November saw snowfall all the way in the south of Finland, but as the last week of November was mild, only Kainuu and Lappi retained a 10–25 centimetre snow cover.

In November, hours of sunshine ranged from one hour at Kevo in Utsjoki to approximately 48 hours at Badhusberget in Mariehamn. Apart from northern Lapland, Finland saw mostly normal hours of sunshine.

Further information:

• Climate statistics in Finland

• Download observations

Weather statistics from the Climate Service on weekdays, tel. +358 600 1 0601 (€ 4.06/min + local network fee)

The highest temperature of the month, 15.7 degrees, was recorded on 6 October at the Vänö observation station in Kimito. The lowest temperature of the month, ‒13.4 degrees, was recorded on 21 October at the Oustajärvi observation station in Muonio and at Enontekiö Airport.

According to preliminary information, precipitation was highest in Kaakkuri, Tornio, where it reached 114.6 millimetres. The lowest amount of precipitation, 30.3 mm, was recorded at Lake Mekrijärvi, Ilomantsi. The precipitation in October was mainly lower than usual in the east and south, but slightly higher than usual in the west and southwest coasts, as well as largely in the north. In some parts in the east, precipitation remained about half of the normal amount of precipitation in October. The highest 24-hour rainfall, 30.2 millimetres, was recorded at the Kaakkuri observation station, in Tornio, on 23 October.

Lapland had less snow than usual

The first snow was recorded on 16 October at the Kilpisjärvi village centre, in Enontekiö; first snow came more than two weeks later than usual. In the second half of the month, there was little snow on the ground in Central and Northern Lapland, and at the end of October only in places in Northern Lapland. Snow cover in Lapland was slightly lower than usual for the time period. The highest snow depth, 17 centimetres, was recorded at the Kilpisjärvi village centre, in Enontekiö, on 24 October.

The number of sunshine hours was between 70 and 110 hours in the western part of the country, and 30 to 70 hours in the rest of the country. There was slightly less sunshine than usual in most parts of the country.

Further information

• Climate statistics in Finland

• Download observations

Weather statistics from the Climate Service on weekdays, tel. +358 600 1 0601 (€ 4.06/min + local network fee)

The year 2024 was the peak year for mortality with approximately 154,000 deaths due to fire smoke, slightly exceeding the previous year 2023. Compared with the previous report, the fire smoke indicator currently estimates also the total mortality from fire smoke. From 2003–2012 to 2015–2024, the average mortality increased by 9%, with low Human Development Index (HDI) countries seeing the biggest increase (46%). However, the increasing trend in mortality from fire smoke is mainly caused by the growing population exposure rather than worsening smoke conditions. While local fire activity has intensified in some areas, such as western parts of Canada and the United States, the global average wildfire smoke particle concentration did not show a clear increasing trend.

Fire risk, however, continues to grow regionally, with strength and smoke exposure depending on the efficiency of fire management measures and the impacts of climate change.

Apart from the fire indicator, SILAM model calculations of global desert dust were included in the Dust ensemble, together with Copernicus, Naval Research Laboratory, and NASA models. Climate change and population growth also leads to increasing exposure of population with dust, with particularly significant rise in Africa and Asia.

Climate and health are closely linked

The published global report is part of the Lancet Countdown project that tracks the relationship between health and climate change using over 50 indicators. The 2025 report emphasizes that urgent action is needed to mitigate and adapt to climate change to avoid the most severe health effects.

The Lancet Countdown has been selected as one of the 15 finalists for the GAEA awards. The winner will be announced at the World Economic Forum in January 2026. The nomination itself is a significant recognition of the project’s impact on both climate research and policymaking.

Further information

Lancet Countdown Report 2025

Mikhail Sofiev, Research Professor, Finnish Meteorological Institute, tel. +358 503 290 578

Risto Hänninen, Senior Scientist, Finnish Meteorological Institute

Rostislav Kouznetsov, Senior Scientist, Finnish Meteorological Institute

Andreas Uppstu, Senior Scientist, Finnish Meteorological Institute

Email addresses are in the format firstname.lastname@fmi.fi. Replace the letter “ä” with “a” in the name.

Lapland’s September was record warm. In the Tähtelä measurement station in Sodankylä, the average temperature was 11.0 degrees in September, which means that September 2025 was the third consecutive record-warm September at the station. Climate change made the average temperature of September 2025 1.9 degrees higher and roughly 50 times more probable than if there were no climate change. The information is based on a peer-reviewed method by the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the University of Helsinki.

The average temperature in September varied between approximately 15 degrees Celsius in the southern coast and approximately 10 degrees in Northern Lapland. The deviation from the comparison period 1991–2020 was generally 2–4 degrees, with the largest deviation in Central Lapland. The average temperature was exceptionally high in many places from the southern part of the country to North Ostrobothnia.

The highest temperature in September, 25.8 degrees Celsius, was recorded on the 8th of the month at the Kärkkä observation station in Salo. The lowest temperature for the month, -5.4 degrees, was recorded on the 30th of the month at the Konnunsuo observation station in Lappeenranta.

There were four days when the temperature exceeded 25 degrees in September, which is an unusually large number.

September saw the highest number of lightning strikes since 2002

Precipitation levels were mostly normal or slightly higher than usual in September. The amount of precipitation was exceptionally high mainly in some areas of the southern parts of Central Finland and Northern Ostrobothnia. Some areas in the southern coast, near the eastern border and in the northern parts of Central Finland and North Savo had less precipitation than usually.

According to preliminary data, the highest amount of precipitation, 136.7 mm, was recorded in Sarakylä, Pudasjärvi. The least precipitation was received at the observation station of Pulju in Kittilä, where the monthly rainfall was 30.4 mm. The greatest amount of precipitation in a single day, 52.1 mm, was recorded at the Jyväskylä Airport observation station on 8 September.

In September, there were 80‒200 hours of sunshine, which is normal or a slightly higher number than usual.

A total of 6,700 cloud-to-ground lighting strikes were observed in Finland, when their average number for September is 2,800. The last September with a higher number of lightning strikes was in 2002.

Further information

• Climate statistics in Finland

• Download observations

Weather statistics from the Climate Service on weekdays, tel. +358 600 1 0601 (€ 4.06/min + local network fee)