The beginning of October was exceptionally warm for the time of year

Warm air flows from Central Europe and the Atlantic kept weather mild in Finland

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Finland had an unprecedentedly long warm period between mid-September and mid-October, with temperatures peaking at a record-breaking level, according to Finnish Meteorological Institute statistics.
     
The temperature was at its warmest in Porvoo, reaching 18.8°C on 5th October. This fell marginally short of October's all-time record temperature of 19.4°C, measured in Malmi, Helsinki on 2nd October, 1985.
      The mild period lasted almost a month and was caused by warm air flows from Central Europe and the Atlantic, according to Senior Meteorologist Anneli Nordlund from the FMI.
      By mid-October the weather cooled off, resulting in snowfall in Lapland on the 17th and reaching the southern parts of the country five days later. By the end of October the weather warmed up again.
     
The mean temperature in Finland was 2 to 3 degrees higher than usual in October. On October 29th the mean temperature was exceptionally 7°C, both in Helsinki and up north in Kilpisjärvi in Lapland.
      Warm weather reduced the sales of district heating by EUR 11 million in October. According to the Association of Finnish Energy Industries, the average saving in heating costs was EUR 4.00 per flat in apartment blocks, and EUR 7.50 for a single-family house.
     
Warmer than usual weather continued into the beginning of November. On November 1st the average maximum temperature was between 10 and 12°C in Southern Finland. The weather peaks at 9 to 10°C once every 20 years in the beginning of November. For the temperatures even further north to be this high at this time of year is truly exceptional: practically a once-in-a-century occurrence.
      Not everyone is happy: the Finnish cross-country ski team's pre-season training camp at Saariselkä in Lapland suffered from a shortage of the white stuff, as rain melted away the ski-tracks that had been laid.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  People and strawberries alike relish autumn "heat-wave" (14.10.2005)

Links:
  Finnish Meteorological Institute

Helsingin Sanomat