Eastern Finland sees first heat warning of the year

"There is a strip of warm air in the east, but there's also a cold front that has split the country in two," Yle meteorologist Elias Paakkanen explains.Kouvola reached 29.1 degrees on Tuesday. Image: Mari Siltanen / YleYle News13:45Updated 14:36Many parts of Finland will be even warmer on Wednesday than the day before, according to Yle meteorologist Elias Paakkanen.The temperature reached 30.2 degrees in northern Karelia's municipality of Ilomantsi on Wednesday afternoon.Finland's 'heat threshold' of 25 degrees was broken on Tuesday, with the country's highest temperature (29.1 degrees) recorded in Kouvola.The warmer temperatures are affecting an increasing area of the country on Wednesday as well — stretching across Eastern Finland from South Karelia up to Kainuu.The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) issued the year's first heat warning in North Karelia on Wednesday, while there are also thunderstorm warnings issued across eastern, central and western areas.According to Paakkanen, two distinct weather patterns were affecting eastern and western areas on Wednesday.Forecast for Wednesday (KE) and Thursday (TO). Image: Elias Paakkanen / Yle"There is a strip of warm air in the east, but there's also a cold front that has split the country in two," he explained.This means that the western side of the front is significantly cooler than the eastern side."For example, there can be a difference of up to 15 degrees between Vaasa and Joensuu," Paakkanen said.However, the late spring heatwave will likely be brief, according to the forecast.Weather conditions will become more unstable towards the end of the week, but temperatures will still be "summer-like", Pakkanen explained.Friday will likely be the coolest and rainiest day this week, although forecasts are still calling for variable conditions. Temperatures will hover around 15 degrees, and rain is expected, especially in the south.Edited at 14:36 on 20 May 2026, to add that the temperature reached 30.2 degrees in northern Karelia's municipality of Ilomantsi on Wednesday afternoon.