Finland Freezes as New Year Brings Record Lows.

If you thought 2023 was cold, wait until you see what 2024 has in store for Finland. The new year has brought some of the lowest temperatures ever recorded in the country, with no signs of warming up anytime soon.

On New Year’s Day, a gas tanker was spotted sailing on a frozen sea near Porvoo, a sight that captured the icy mood of the nation. The photo, taken by Antti Aimo-Koivisto from the Emäsalo bridge, went viral on social media and news outlets.

But that was just the beginning. The next day, the winter season’s record low was smashed by Ylivieska airport, where it was a staggering -37.8 degrees Celsius at 3:30am. That beat the previous record of -36.3 degrees, which was set by Juuka and Salla just hours earlier.

Even the southern regions, which usually enjoy milder weather, have been hit hard by the cold snap. Virrat, in northern Pirkanmaa, saw -30.1 degrees on Monday, while Vihti, in Uusimaa, registered -27.2 degrees. Yle’s meteorologist Matti Huutonen said that was a tough reading for Uusimaa, which is not used to such extreme cold.

And it’s not over yet. Huutonen predicts that the record low will be broken again in the next few days, as the arctic air mass that is covering Finland shows no signs of moving away. He warns that temperatures could drop as low as -40 degrees in eastern Lapland, where the Finnish Meteorological Institute has issued freezing temperature warnings for almost the entire country.

The only areas that might get some relief are the south coast and northern Lapland, where warmer winds could bring some slight moderation. But don’t expect to feel much difference, as the wind chill factor will still make it feel freezing outside.

The only hope for a thaw is by Saturday, when Huutonen says the coldest air mass might start to recede. Until then, bundle up, stay indoors, and keep warm. Finland is in the grip of a historic cold spell that is not going to let go anytime soon.