Stockholm (AFP) - Temperatures in Finland rose almost twice as fast as in the rest of the world over the past 166 years, meteorologists said Monday, supporting claims global warming hits higher altitudes hardest.

Since 1847 "the average temperature in Finland has risen by more than two degrees," the Finnish Meteorological Institute said.

"During the observation period, the average increase was 0.14 degrees per decade, which is nearly twice as much as the global average."

The meteorologists based their statement on a study from the University of Eastern Finland, which concluded the climbing temperatures from 1847-2013 in the Nordic country are "in line with the notion that warming is stronger in higher latitudes."

November, December and January have seen the biggest temperature rises, with less significant increases in March, April and May, says professor Ari Laaksonen of the University of Eastern Finland and the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

These changes have been visible in daily life with lakes freezing later in winter and trees blooming earlier in spring.

Record high temperatures in Alaska, below average snow cover across the Arctic and excess summer ice melting in Greenland were observed by scientists in 2014, raising new concerns about global warming.

The worrying weather was reported in the annual Arctic Report Card, compiled by 63 scientists in 13 countries, and was released on December 17 at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco.