Country experiences exceptionally warm Oct

October was exceptionally warm in most parts of the country this year, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI).

Such warm October occurs on an average in every 10–20 years, said the FMI in a press release.

The monthly mean temperature varied between about 10 degrees Celsius in the southern coast, to just under two degrees Celsius in northern Lapland.

The deviation from the long-term average temperatures (1981–2010) was around 2.5°C in most parts of the country.

The first half of the month was very warm, while after mid-month there was a week's period of colder than usual weather. During that week, the first snow arrived in many parts of Northern Finland, as well as in parts of Central Finland.

Towards the end of October, temperatures rose again to high levels compared to the seasonal average. Therefore, the last days of October saw significant amounts of snow only in the northernmost Lapland.

The highest temperature of the month was 18.7°C, recorded in Anjala, Kouvola, on the 5th. In comparison, the lowest temperature, minus 20.5°C, was recorded in Enontekiö airport, on 31 October.

October was also unusually rainy in most parts of the country. In parts of Central and Northern Finland, even exceptionally rainy. Merely in Northern Lapland, the precipitation levels were in places lower than average.

The month's highest overall amount of precipitation, 153.9 mm, was measured in Torppi, Tornio.

Whereas, the lowest amount of precipitation was just 26.7 millimetres, measured at the Kirakkajärvi observation station, in Inari. The country's highest daily amount of precipitation, 33.0 millimetres, was measured at the Kemijärvi airport observation station, on the 17th.