Rainy weather continues in Finland as low-pressure system moves towards Barents Sea

Rainy and windy weather will continue through Thursday night and into Friday. A low-pressure system is moving along the western coast of the Gulf of Bothnia towards the Barents Sea, where strong gusts are expected. Due to this low-pressure system and southerly winds, much of the precipitation on Friday will fall as rain, albeit not in the same quantities as on Wednesday night when parts of Southern Finland received up to 50 millimeters in a single day.

The rainband will spread into the central and northern parts of the country overnight from Thursday to Friday. While most of the precipitation will be rain, heavy snowfall could occur in the Lapland region, particularly in the Käsivarren area. Local meteorologist Matti Huutonen warns that substantial snow accumulation is likely, resulting in potentially hazardous driving conditions.

The low-pressure system moving over Finland is remnants of Hurricane Kirkin, which traveled across Europe from France and Germany. It will bring significant winds throughout the day, with the system continuing to affect Lapland and Eastern Finland into the afternoon.

Wind gust warnings have been issued for much of the country, especially in maritime areas. The warning signals strong winds are expected around the Bothnian Sea and across the Gulf of Bothnia, with gusts potentially reaching 21 meters per second. While conditions similar to Wednesday night, which saw gusts exceeding 20 meters per second, are not forecasted for these areas on Friday, wind warnings remain in effect from Western Finland to Northern Lapland.

As the low-pressure system moves toward the Barents Sea on Saturday, a break from the rain and wind is anticipated for the weekend, although it may be slightly cooler with increasing chances of nighttime frost in Central and Northern Finland. More sunshine is also expected to emerge during this period.