Summer storm to hit Finland with heavy rain and strong winds

Finland is set to experience a turbulent weekend as a "summer storm" brings widespread rain and strong winds across the country.

Forecasters predict heavy rainfall will begin spreading from southeastern Finland on Saturday morning and intensify throughout the day. By Saturday evening and into the night, southern and southeastern Finland can expect very rainy conditions, with meteorologist Joonas Koskela warning that "it might rain cats and dogs over a large area in southern Finland" overnight.

The Helsinki metropolitan area could see 15-20 millimeters of rain, with potential for even heavier downpours in some locations. Accompanying the rain, winds will strengthen significantly by Saturday evening, leading to gusty conditions across much of the country. The west coast may experience storm-force gusts overnight and into Sunday morning, with winds potentially exceeding 19 meters per second over sea areas.

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It might rain cats and dogs over a large area in southern Finland.

"A summer squall or storm is upon us during the coming night and tomorrow morning," Koskela stated. Wind warnings have been issued for Sunday across inland areas stretching from Central Finland to Lapland, with gusts reaching 15 meters per second capable of causing localized damage even in summer.

Temperatures will remain unseasonably cool throughout the weekend. In the Helsinki region, coastal areas will hover around 12-13 degrees Celsius, while inland temperatures may struggle to reach 15 degrees. The arrival of rain on Saturday evening is expected to lower temperatures by another degree or two, potentially dropping to around 10 degrees Celsius overnight.

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A summer squall or storm is upon us during the coming night and tomorrow morning.