Image: Mikko Stig / Lehtikuva

The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) reports that the month of June was unusually cold, even by Finnish summer standards.

Average temperatures stayed far lower than usual for the time of year, from northern Lapland's 8 degrees Celsius to some 13 degrees in southern and coastal regions.

In Finland temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius or higher are considered "heat days" (helle). In June people were treated to such warmth for just six days out of thirty.

The highest temperature of 26.2 degrees was measured on June 16th in Mikkeli, while nighttime frost was recorded across the country in the first week of the month.

Eastern Lapland was coldest, with temperatures staying at 1.5 - 2.5 degrees lower than on average. The last similarly chilly June on record is from 14 years ago, in 2003.

"This situation is due to global weather conditions," says meteorologist Niina Niinimäki. "Warm air masses have avoided Finland almost altogether, and cold northerly air has been pushed in."

Typical sunlight, fewer storms

A cold summer also means that there have been fewer thunder and lightning storms this year. FMI counted some 3,000 lightning strikes in May and June. If that sounds like a lot, but so few strikes have not been recorded since record-keeping began in 1960.

Even though conditions have been frosty, a regular amount of the sun's rays beamed down on Finland in June – some 250-300 hours' of it.