Air quality has deteriorated across wide areas of Finland, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI).
The air quality is currently “fair” in many areas, but it could become “poor” in the coming days, FMI said in a statement.
The weather agency said that unusually high levels of fine particulate matter have been carried to Finland by air currents from Eastern and Central Europe.
“The concentrations of fine particles are exceptionally high, and we have not measured such high levels on a daily basis in the last ten years in Finland,” FMI researcher Katriina Kyllönen said in a statement.
The exact reason for the high particulate matter levels is however unknown, according to researcher Elli Suhonen from FMI.
“Weather maps show that there is slightly cooler air in Eastern and Central Europe. The high concentrations of fine particles could therefore be caused by factors such as regular traffic, industry, and the use of wood and coal for heating. The particles just happen to have been carried all the way here, which is deteriorating air quality in Finland,” Suhonen told Yle.
The highest daily average concentration of fine particulate matter in Finland on Monday was just under 40 micrograms per cubic meter. FMI stated that starting in 2026, Europe will require public warnings if concentrations exceed 50 micrograms per cubic metre a level not surpassed in Finland.
Last year, it was reported that Finland’s air quality is among the best in Europe, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing.
