HELSINKI, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Finland's climate has warmed faster than the global average in recent decades, with the rate of warming more than doubling over the past 25 years, the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) said on Wednesday.
According to the institute's nationwide observational data, Finland has warmed by about 0.5 degrees Celsius per decade over the past 50 years. In 2000, the corresponding 50-year warming rate was about 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade.
Mika Rantanen, a researcher at the FMI, said such a long observation period smooths out most natural variability, meaning the trend largely reflects human-induced climate change.
The institute noted that warming is particularly evident in Finnish winters. Winters have become shorter, snow cover duration has decreased, and the number of frost days has declined. Lakes are becoming ice-free earlier in spring, while summer water temperatures are rising under the influence of more intense heatwaves.
Finland experienced an exceptional hot spell in the summer of 2025, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius recorded somewhere in the country for 22 consecutive days - the longest such heatwave in the country's recorded history.
The warming trend has also affected water bodies and wildlife. Lower water levels have left many rivers and lakes unusually shallow. On Wednesday, Finnish national broadcaster Yle reported that its annual observation site for Saimaa ringed seals had been relocated, as the traditional location had become too shallow for the animals. The Saimaa ringed seal is one of the world's rarest seal species and is found only in Finland's Lake Saimaa.
Petteri Taalas, Director General of the FMI, said climate change is being felt particularly strongly in Europe.
"The Arctic has warmed two to four times more than the rest of the world, and the Mediterranean region is the second-fastest warming region globally," Taalas said. "Combating climate change and adapting to it are extremely urgent challenges." ■
