Severe rainstorm floods Vaasa as Seinäjoki receives 60 millimetres

A powerful thunderstorm and rain shower caused flooding and kept rescue services busy in western Finland on Sunday, Yle reported. Seinäjoki received nearly 60 millimetres of rain within an hour, most of it in just 30 minutes.

The Ostrobothnia rescue department received three calls related to damage prevention in Vaasa within an hour after 4 p.m. The tasks were linked to flooding caused by heavy rain.

Yle meteorologist Elias Paakkanen said a powerful thunderstorm cluster was moving through the Vaasa region. Heavy rain was also reported in neighbouring regions of Ostrobothnia.

According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, 45 millimetres of rain per hour meets the criteria for a red warning for short-duration heavy rainfall.

Rain and thunderstorms were also forecast for Central Finland and Pirkanmaa. More than 20 millimetres of rain fell in Tampere in half an hour, Paakkanen said.

Oulu had received 24 millimetres of rain over the previous 24 hours. Thunderstorms were also suspected of causing a widespread power outage in Ii, in Northern Ostrobothnia, on Sunday morning.

In Kurikka, Southern Ostrobothnia, lightning struck a detached house of about 50 square metres in the afternoon and started a fire. The rescue department said there were no injuries.