Year 2019 was nearly one degree warmer than usual

According to the statistics of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the year 2019 was warmer than usual in nearly the whole country, and only in Lapland the average temperature was close to long-term averages. The average temperature in the whole country was approximately 0.9 degrees above the 1981–2010 average.

The lowest temperature of the year, -39.1 degrees Celsius, was recorded in Kevojärvi in Utsjoki on 5 February, and the highest temperature of the year, 33.7 degrees Celsius, was recorded in Emäsalo in Porvoo on 28 July. Of the months in 2019, April was exceptionally warm at several stations, and several new record temperatures were recorded at different stations.

The annual total rainfall was mainly average or higher than usual. The highest annual total rainfall was 828.8 mm, measured in Paljakka in Puolanka, and the smallest, 375.3 mm, in Kevo in Utsjoki.

2019 began with the record-breaking storm named Aapeli. On the night of January 2, a new wind record was recorded for Finnish sea areas. In Bogskär, Kökar, the 10-minute wind average reached 32.5 m/s. Despite the stormy start to the year, the amount of lightning recorded during the summer's thunderstorm season was lower than average. Approximately 87,000 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes were registered, compared to 130,000 annual average.

December was considerably milder and more rainy than usual

In December, the average temperature was 3–6 degrees higher than average, which usually happens every 10–30 years. However, the previous warmer-than-average December was in 2017 in the south, and in 2011 in Lapland. The lowest temperature in December was -35.4°C, recorded in Kevojärvi, Utsjoki on 9 December. The highest temperature was 8.4°C, recorded on 4 December in Pargas.

In most parts of the country, the amount of precipitation in December was higher than average, and in Central Lapland it rained twice as much as usual. In Vuotso in Sodankylä, the highest amount of precipitation in the station's measurement history for December (98.7 mm) was recorded. The highest amount of precipitation was 116.8 mm in Koivuniemi in Virolahti, and the lowest was 24.8 mm in Kauhava.

At the end of the month, the typical amount of snow was 40–80 cm of snow in Kainuu, Koillismaa, and Lapland, while the southern and western parts of the country mostly had none. In Central Finland, Savo-Karelia and the western parts of Northern Ostrobothnia, the typical amount of snow was 10–40 cm. The amount of snow was lower than usual, but there was a record amount of snow in some areas of Lapland.

Further information:

Weather statistics from the climate service, tel. 0600 1 0601 (EUR 4,01/min + local network charge)Weather forecasts from the meteorologist on duty 24h/day tel. 0600 1 0600 (EUR 3,85/min + local network charge)