Storm Jari leaves thousands without power in Pirkanmaa and Central Finland

Electric companies have been working through the night to restore power after Storm Jari caused widespread outages. As of Saturday morning, nearly 3,000 households in Pirkanmaa and Central Finland were still without electricity, with some areas experiencing outages since Thursday night. Most of the damage to the electricity grid is concentrated in Elenia’s service area.

Elenia’s communications director, Heini Kuusela-Opas, noted that favorable weather conditions today are aiding repair efforts. She explained that the severity of the damage is due to the unusual direction of the storm winds, which were particularly strong from the northeast, uprooting trees. The strong winds also gained power from nearby lakes, including Päijänne, causing widespread tree falls.

The storm has resulted in the most significant network damage Elenia has faced in nine years, with around 500 medium-voltage and over 700 low-voltage repairs needed. By late Friday into Saturday morning, power had been restored to approximately 2,300 customers.

Heavy machinery, including excavators for setting up poles, has been utilized, with the repairs nearly tantamount to rebuilding parts of the network. Many repair sites remain active, particularly in Jämsä, Orivesi, Kangasala, Kuhmoinen, Pälkäne, and Ruovesi. Unfortunately, some low-voltage repairs are expected to extend into Sunday.

Elenia is conducting aerial inspections with helicopters to assess further damages. However, new weather forecasts predict another storm with strong gusts overnight between Sunday and Monday, which could complicate ongoing repairs due to additional downed trees. Kuusela-Opas mentioned that the work would continue as an ongoing response to this major disruption and into the upcoming storm.