Severe Thunderstorms Hit Uusimaa, Disrupting Events and Causing Flooding
A powerful thunderstorm swept through Uusimaa and the capital region on Saturday evening, bringing heavy rain, hail, frequent lightning, and strong gusts. The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) had issued a warning for severe thunderstorms in Uusimaa and the southern and western parts of the Gulf of Finland, effective until 11 PM.
According to FMI’s warning map, wind gusts associated with the storms were expected to exceed 20 meters per second. Yle reports that a strong band of thunderstorms formed over the region, with similar weather observed earlier in Estonia and Russia. Meteorologist Aleksi Lohtander (Yle) warned of the potential for large hail and intense rainfall.
Storm Causes Disruptions and Localized Damage
The thunderstorm front, described by FMI duty meteorologist Eevi Silvennoinen (Ilta-Sanomat) as a typical summer weather event, stretched from west of Porvoo to Kirkkonummi and the Gulf of Finland. Over the past hour, it brought heavy rainfall, hail, and frequent lightning to the area.
In Espoo Center, a man was stranded in his car due to flooding, while in Vantaa, a reader reported that the Jumbo shopping center’s parking garage flooded around 9 PM—an event described as unprecedented by a regular visitor (Ilta-Sanomat). Hail fell for five minutes in Asola, Vantaa, and a lightning strike in Sepänkylä, Espoo, caused a brief power outage.
The storm also disrupted several events. The Puska Festival at Malmi Airport in Helsinki was interrupted, with around a thousand attendees affected (Ilta-Sanomat). Additionally, Helsingin Uutiset reports that Bolt Arena was evacuated shortly before 9 PM due to the storm, forcing spectators of the football match between HJK Klubi 04 and Joensuun Jippo to seek shelter indoors.
Storm Movement and Forecast
Silvennoinen (Ilta-Sanomat) stated that the thunderstorm front was moving westward, with conditions in Uusimaa expected to calm during the night. However, new thunderstorms are forecast for Sunday afternoon and evening in western Finland, potentially bringing heavy rainfall. Rain warnings have been issued for several regions in southern Finland.
Lightning strikes were captured in multiple locations, including Talma in Sipoo and Kerava, as shown in reader-submitted photos (Ilta-Sanomat). While such storms occur annually in Finland, this event was notable for its intensity and timing in Uusimaa. Earlier in the summer, similar fronts were observed in Ostrobothnia.
