Sunny spring weather predicted for weekend and beginning of next week

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Daytime temperatures in the Greater Helsinki Area are predicted to rise above +10°C at the beginning of next week. The Finnish Meteorological Institute forecasts that similar readings will be reached in inland areas already during the weekend.
      This year's highest temperature so far, +10.8°C, was recorded in Hyvinkää on March 15th.
      In comparison, last year the mean temperature in March was the lowest in the entire winter and the spring advanced slowly, with sharp frosts continuing until mid-March.
     
In Southern Finland, the night temperatures have now been around zero, while the daytime temperatures have been moving around a few plus degrees.
      In spite of the chilly end to the weekend last Sunday, coltsfoot flowers, migratory birds, reptiles, and amphibians have already been observed, while even the first insects have been awakened by the warm weather.
      However, in Lapland a reading of -18°C was measured overnight between Wednesday and Thursday.
      The ice over water bodies is already dangerously fragile, and thinner than usual for this time of the year. In fact, the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard has warned people against moving on the ice any more this spring.
     
Another indication of spring in the air is the change of winter speed limits to summer limits. "If the forecasts look good, the speed limit signs could be changed already on Thursday", assumed Jyri Mustonen from the Finnish Road Administration's Uusimaa Region.
      Previously the speed limits have been changed at the turn of the months of March and April, or at Easter at the latest.
      Another sign of spring comes when the country switches to summer time, with the clocks being moved forward by one hour on Sunday night at 3.00 o'clock.
     
Not everybody is happy about the early spring. The flowering of alder and hazel in Southern Finland is rough on allergic and asthmatic persons, and it will become even harder with the flowering of birch, normally starting at the end of April.
      Furthermore, Senior Meteorologist Sari Hartonen of the Finnish Meteorological lnstitute reports that the air quality will weaken within the next few days and at the beginning of next week, with dust particles starting to fly around.
      In fact, the daily concentrations of airborne particles might exceed the normal readings tenfold.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Tuesday was a record warm day in Southern Finland (14.3.2007)
  Street dust may weaken air quality in Helsinki noticeably (14.3.2006)

Links:
  Finnish Meteorological Institute
  The Gulf of Finland Coast Guard
  Finnish Road Administration

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