Strong winds have once again been disrupting the service of high-speed passenger ferries running between Helsinki and Tallinn. According to Tallink, two departures from Helsinki and one from Tallinn have been cancelled this morning.
Decisions on later cancellations will be made as soon as the wind conditions are known.
Also the Super Sea Cats operated by Nordic Jet Line and Sea Containers stayed in port in the morning.
In addition to Tallink, the high-speed vessels of Nordic Jet Line were also forced to cancel some of their departures yesterday, because of rough seas.
The Finnish Meteorological Institute reports that the gusts of wind could reach 14 to 16 metres per second in the course of the day. However, no gale-force winds are to be expected later today. In land areas the winds are also predicted to weaken.
Last night the gusts of wind recorded in maritime areas reached as much as 23 metres per second and 14 metres per second in the coastal area.
Furthermore, the rescue and emergency services in Southern Finland have been busy clearing trees that toppled onto power lines. In the morning, about 1,000 consumers were left without electricity within power supplier Fortum’s network alone. Moreover, last night some 9,000 of their customers were affected by blackouts.
There is no immediate end in sight for the curious mild and wet weather pattern that has been affecting the country since mid-November. There have already been suggestions that the idea of a white Christmas is growing increasingly unlikely - at least for the south of Finland.
