Country experiences colder April

April was colder than usual in the whole country this year than the long term average.

According to Finnish Meteorological Institute statistics, April was 1-2 degrees colder than the long-term average in most parts of the country.

A similar April was last seen in the southern part of the country in 2013, in the central part of the country in 2003 and in the north in 1998.

Fairly spring-like temperatures were recorded during the first half of April and the highest temperature, 14.4°C, was recorded in Hattula on 10 April.

Around the same time, on 9 April, the month's lowest temperature, minus 25.8°C, was recorded in Kevojärvi, Utsjoki. The latter half of April was clearly chillier than usual and periods of snowfall were experienced even on the southern coast until 30 April.

With the cold weather, graupels of 1-2 cm in size were also seen exceptionally often in connection with rainfall.

Meanwhile, April was marked by precipitation levels higher than usual in a large part of Finland. The central part of the country saw especially high precipitation levels and precipitation levels in Kainuu were more than twice the long-term average. The highest level of precipitation, 93.8 mm, was measured in Kotila, Puolanka and the lowest, 14.7 mm, in Näkkälä, Enontekiö.

On the last day of the month, there was snow exceptionally in almost the whole country. The last times snow around May Day in Southern Finland were in 2014 and 2007.