Strong winds and severe weather expected across Finland as remnants of Hurricane Ernesto impact regions

Winds across Finland have been extremely strong today, with gusts expected to intensify by tomorrow. The most powerful winds were reported along the western coast, where storm gusts were recorded. The highest speed, reaching 26.5 meters per second, was measured off the coast of Oulu in Hailuoto.

Winds are anticipated to temporarily decrease overnight but will become dangerously strong again on Sunday. Meteorologist Elias Paakkanen described the weather maps as perplexing, noting that a weather front will divide the country on Sunday: cooler and wetter conditions are expected in the north, while southern areas will experience sunny and potentially scorching temperatures.

A heatwave is set to push northward into Finland by Sunday morning, with temperatures climbing into the hot range in the southern regions by the afternoon. In contrast, the north and west will see rainfall, with Lapland’s temperatures dropping below 15 degrees Celsius and over 20 millimeters of rain possible within 24 hours. Thunderstorms are also possible along the western coast, with hazardous gusts accompanying showers.

As the winds transport the rain from the west to the east, sporadic rain and thunderstorms could arise across other parts of Finland in the evening.

The intense winds battering Finland are remnants of Hurricane Ernesto, which has been raging in the Atlantic. According to Paakkanen, the hurricane has significantly weakened before making landfall in Europe, stating that while it is no longer a major storm, it can be characterized as a relatively strong summer storm for Finland.