Finland hit by severe thunderstorms and lightning, causing fires and power outages across the country

Thunderstorms have swept across Finland today, with rain and thunder showers reported in almost the entire country, some of which have intensified into severe storms. These intermittent showers and storms have occurred over a wide area, excluding the northern and central parts of Lapland and coastal regions.

The Finnish Meteorological Institute has issued a warning for severe thunderstorms across a large portion of the country. Approximately 2,000 lightning strikes were recorded in a few hours in the afternoon. The total number of lightning strikes on Tuesday is expected to reach around 5,000.

Rescue services across the country have been kept busy due to the lightning and heavy rainfall, although no major accidents have been reported. In the region of Southwest Finland, lightning caused two fires in Loimaa. First, a shed was hit, and later, lightning struck the roof structure of a house. The Fire Department extinguished and cleared the smoldering areas, and there were no people inside the house at the time of the lightning strike.

In Central Finland, residents in Uurainen were startled by a lightning strike. The resulting power surge travelled along electrical wiring into a detached house’s electrical box, causing structures in the attic to smolder and filling the building with the smell of smoke.

Additionally, a machine hall burned down in Kartsula in Central Finland, although it is not currently suspected that the fire was caused by lightning.

Lightning strikes have also resulted in several power outages. According to the Energy Industry’s power outage map, there were over a thousand power outages in the afternoon, primarily concentrated in Central Finland and Southern Savonia.

The showers and thunderstorms are expected to weaken in the evening and subside as the sun sets.

Storm clouds rolled over Southern Savonia and over the center of Savonlinna on Tuesday afternoon. (Image credit: Saara-Miira Kokkonen / Yle)

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