Temperatures in various parts of Helsinki may vary by as much as 9°C

If you are feeling chilly, head for the railway station

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The warmest places in Helsinki are situated in the immediate vicinity of the capital’s main Railway Station, according to a survey that was launched by the Finnish Meteorological Institute in July.
      This piece of information may sound trivial or even pointless, until one realises just how much warmer or colder certain areas can be.
      ”A so-called heat island phenomenon in the Helsinki area can raise the temperatures in places with a compact cluster of buildings”, said researcher Achim Drebs.
      For example, in the suburbs of Viikki and Vuosaari, and in the Central Park the temperatures are lower than in downtown Helsinki.
     
”The largest temperature differences have been recorded during bright and windless nights. The largest simultaneously measured differences have been as much as nine degrees Celsius”, Drebs reported.
      The vicinity of the sea has a considerable effect on the temperature.
      ”In the spring the sea cools down the temperature, while in the autumn it warms it up, particularly in the city centre. The northern parts of Helsinki have a more continental climate”, Drebs added.
      Even differences in elevation as well as the parks have a certain effect.
      In the summer the buildings of the city absorb solar radiation and warm up. At night the buildings release the heat back to the outside air.
     
The local variations in weather in Helsinki are similar to those in other large cities that have been studied worldwide, Drebs notes.
      The basic purpose of such a survey is to benefit city planning.
      The study is to continue for one year, while measurements will be made in downtown Helsinki and its suburbs.
      The aim is to make a map which would show the effects of the urban heat island phenomenon in the Helsinki area in all months of the year.


Links:
  Finnish Meteorological Institute

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