Finland Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Vantaa, and Oulu
Summary
While much of western Europe sweltered under record-breaking summer heatwaves, Finland experienced a remarkably temperate July, keeping temperatures close to seasonal norms. Average temperatures across the country stood just 0.4°C above the long-term baseline, making it one of the coolest relative anomalies globally this month. Near-average conditions are expected to persist into early autumn.
This month in numbers
Globally, July 2026 was the 3rd warmest on record with a land temperature of 15.8°C (+1.6°C anomaly), while May-July was the 2nd warmest at 14.34°C. In Finland, July 2026 recorded an average temperature of 15.66°C (+0.4°C above the 1961-1990 baseline), ranking 42nd out of 87 years of records since 1940. Over May-July, Finland averaged 13.3°C (+1.4°C anomaly), making it the 13th warmest such period on record. This follows 2025, Finland's 2nd warmest year overall at 4.46°C.
What changed
Finland ranked 226th out of 232 regions globally for its 1-month anomaly (+0.39°C), placing it in the bottom 10 anomalies worldwide. Across the wider European group at Europe, Finland was 1.86°C cooler than the group average of +2.25°C. This highlighted a distinct contrast with western European nations like France (+4.45°C) and Spain (+3.88°C), which experienced extreme summer heat.
What’s driving change?
This regional contrast was driven by that trapped high pressure over western Europe while drawing cooler air over Scandinavia. Long-term trends driven by continue to warm Finland, which has warmed by 1.84°C since 1961. Tropical Pacific conditions feature a moderate El Niño, tracked live at ENSO. While ENSO teleconnections to northern Europe carry a weak historical reliability of roughly 45 per cent, the Pacific pattern influences global air circulation.
Looking ahead
With the moderate El Niño forecast to intensify to Very Strong status (93 per cent probability) in autumn, seasonal outlooks indicate a modest tendency toward cooler late winter conditions for northern Europe, though long-term climate trends remain the primary driver.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – Global
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Finland
Köppen Dfc · ContinentalFinland has a continental climate (Köppen Dfc: Subarctic), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 16.6°C, while January is the coldest at -8.2°C. Annual precipitation averages around 607mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Finland
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Finland
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Finland
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Finland
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Records – Finland
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Dfc · ContinentalHow spring and autumn have shifted in Finland. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (1.7°C, from 1940–1969); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 26.4°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Feb (+3.6°C).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Finland
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
Monthly rainfall - Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD) preferred, World Bank CCKP/CRU TS fallback where GPCC lacks direct coverage.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Finland changing?
Finland is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Finland?
Finland has a continental climate (Köppen Dfc: Subarctic), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 16.6°C, while January is the coldest at -8.2°C. Annual precipitation averages around 607mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Where does the climate data for Finland come from?
Climate data for Finland comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Finland climate data cover?
The Finland climate profile covers Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Vantaa and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Finland
How often is the Finland climate update refreshed?
The Finland climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Finland climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Finland climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.