Nearly all the large lakes in what is known as Lakeland Finland and in Ostrobothnia currently have levels at well below the average for the time of year.
Without continued heavy autumn rains the levels will remain under the mean well into the autumn.
The rainfall of the last few weeks has nevertheless slowed the decline in many places.
The level in Saimaa, Finland's largest lake and the fourth-largest lake in Europe, is now 60 cm below the long-term average for October, and in Kallavesi (Kuopio is on its shores) the lake water is 40 cm below par.
The discharge of water from Saimaa [through the Vuoksi watercourse to Lake Ladoga in Russia] was reduced still further from the beginning of October, while the discharge flow from Lake Pielinen in Northern Karelia is continuing at a rate lower than in normal years.
The levels in Lake Päijänne are 20 cm below normal, and in many of the other lakes feeding into the Kymijoki watercourse the figure is between 20 cm and 30 cm.
The Kokemäenjoki River is also expected to experience record-low flows throughout the month of October.
Further north, it is a mixed picture: the water level in the large lake of Oulujärvi will be around 30 cm below normal this month, while in Finnish Lapland river flows are slightly above average for the time of year.
