Finland’s lake water levels may drop to exceptional lows in May

Finland’s lake water levels could fall to unusually low levels in May, according to the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), as reported by news agency STT.

Snow in the country’s lake regions melted about a month earlier than average, Syke said. Water levels are now beginning to decline when they would normally start to rise.

Currently, lake levels remain close to seasonal averages, though in Lake Saimaa—Finland’s largest lake—water is around 15 centimetres lower than typical for this time of year.

The low water levels follow a winter with record-low snowfall in some areas, as well as a drier-than-usual spring.