Finland’s northernmost municipality records 28.6°C as heatwave hits Lapland

Finland’s northernmost municipality of Utsjoki measured a temperature of 28.6°C on Friday afternoon, making it the hottest spot in the country, according to public broadcaster Yle.

The reading, recorded at the Kevo weather station at 14:00 local time, marks an unusually early heatwave for the region, meteorologists said. Matti Huutonen of the Finnish Meteorological Institute called the conditions “unusual but not unbelievable,” noting that prolonged daylight and strong summer sun had pushed temperatures above 25°C—Finland’s official heatwave threshold—across much of Lapland.

Jaakko Savela, another meteorologist with the institute, described Utsjoki’s reading as “exceptionally high for this time of year,” adding that parts of eastern Lapland were also experiencing above-average warmth.

The early heat follows a rapid melt of spring ice, which may have contributed to the sudden temperature rise. Lapland typically sees heatwaves develop more gradually.

A low-pressure system approaching from the south is expected to bring thunderstorms to central and northern Lapland by Sunday, though temperatures are unlikely to drop significantly. The current national heat record for 2026 stands at 30.2°C, set in Tohmajärvi and Ilomantsi on May 20.