Country experiences unusual chilly weather in June

The average temperature in June varied between about 8°C in northern Lapland and about 13°C in the southern and southwestern parts of the country, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

The largest deviation from the average temperature was seen in the eastern part of the country and in eastern Lapland, where the temperatures were about 1.5. and 2.5 degrees Celsius lower than average.

A June as chilly as this is rare, which means that it is seen on average once every ten years.

A chillier June was previously experienced in the eastern part of the country and in Koillismaa in 2003, and in eastern Lapland in 1993. In the western part of the country and in western Lapland, June was 0.5 and 1.5 degrees Celsius chillier than average. The month's highest temperature, 26.2°C, was recorded on 16 June at Mikkeli Airport. Hot weather was experienced somewhere in Finland on a total of six days, which is a couple of days less than the average in June.

The month's lowest temperature, minus 6.1°C, was recorded on 1 June at the Saanatunturi fell in Kilpisjärvi.

Nights were unusually cold in some areas during the first week of the month. Night-time temperatures below zero were seen in some areas on a few nights even in the southern part of the country.

The highest amounts of monthly rainfall measured in the areas with the most precipitation in the southern and central parts of the country were slightly over 100 mm, whereas the amount of rainfall in the driest areas

The monthly rainfall in the areas with the most precipitation was 1.5 times to twice as high as usual, whereas it was less than half the usual amount in the driest areas. The most precipitation was received at the observation station of Härmälä in Tampere, where the monthly rainfall was 137 mm. The highest amount of rainfall received within a 24-hour period, 49.3 mm, was likewise measured in Härmälä, Tampere on 12 June.

The lowest rainfall was received in Keskikylä, Hailuoto, where the monthly rainfall remained at 13 mm.

Slightly more than 2,500 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes were observed in June, which is only about 7 per cent of the long-term average.

Lightning activity has been lower in June only in 2007. The total number of lightning strikes in May and June was only about 3,000, which is record low since the statistics began in 1960. Most of the country enjoyed 250–300 hours of sunshine, and Lapland 200–250 hours. Despite the cold weather, the number of hours of sunshine was close to the long-term averages in a large part of the country.

However, the number of hours of sunshine in Lapland was 20 hours lower than average.