Autumn storm causes widespread disruption across Finland

A autumn storm has hit Finland harder than anticipated, with rainfall spreading extensively from the west to Southern and Central Finland throughout the day. Meteorologist Matti Huutonen reports that tonight’s winds have intensified in some areas beyond initial warnings. For instance, in Porvoo’s Emäsalo, wind speeds reached up to 23.6 meters per second earlier in the evening, while in Sipoo’s Itätouk, wind speeds exceeded 22 meters per second. Huutonen noted, “One can say that storm winds have been blowing over the Gulf of Finland.”

The storm has also brought heavy rainfall, with Jomala in the Åland Islands recording as much as 38 millimeters so far today, and several areas in Southwest Finland receiving over 20 millimeters. According to the Energy Industry’s Power Outage Map, the storm began impacting electricity supplies around 5 PM, with nearly 10,000 households without power by 7 PM. Emergency services have responded to dozens of incidents throughout the evening, although serious accidents have been avoided so far.

As for the night, dangerous weather conditions are expected in Lapland, where rain will likely turn into snow across a broad area. The Finnish Meteorological Institute warns the driving conditions in Lapland will worsen significantly due to snowfall, particularly in Northern Lapland, where conditions may become extremely poor after midnight. In Eastern Finland, caution is advised due to strong southeasterly winds expected to reach hazardous levels overnight and into the morning. Rain will momentarily pause in the south overnight, but a new rainfall area will arrive by Thursday morning.