Southern Finland faces extreme drought as lake levels drop to 60-year lows
Water levels in lakes across southern and western Finland have fallen to unusually low levels due to a dry, snow-scarce winter, with Tammela’s Liesjärvi lake expected to reach its lowest May level in over six decades, reports Yle.
The drought follows an exceptionally dry winter with record-low precipitation in some areas, according to the Southwest Finland Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. Many lakes are already at summer levels—far below typical spring highs caused by snowmelt and rainfall.
Liesjärvi, a popular national park destination in Tammela, Kanta-Häme, is among the hardest hit. Its water level is currently 40 cm lower than the usual spring flood peak, and without rain, it will continue to drop.
Record lows expected
Jukka Sainio, a water protection specialist, notes that Liesjärvi’s levels have been monitored since 1963. “By mid-May, we expect to break the lowest recorded level in over 60 years,” he said. “Never before has the lake been this low in late May.”
Natural lakes face greater risks than regulated ones, though heavy late-spring rains could still ease conditions. A national water-level map shows most of southern and western Finland—from Southwest Finland to Northern Ostrobothnia—experiencing low water, while eastern and northern regions fare better.
Widespread impacts
The drought threatens recreational use, fish spawning, and water quality. Shallow shorelines may dry out, harming aquatic plants and fish breeding grounds. In small lakes, low water warms faster, increasing the risk of toxic blue-green algae blooms.
Households relying on well water are also at risk. “For those dependent on private wells, drying up is a personal disaster—and this year’s risk is especially high,” Sainio warned.
Climate change may make such dry springs more common, he added, as snow melts earlier and spring floods diminish. “This could become the new normal, though we’ll still see typical springs occasionally.”