Southern and central areas of the country may see the temperature climb above Finland's 25-degree heat threshold on Thursday.

Wednesday has been sunny in most areas, reports Yle meteorologist Henriikka Heikinoja, who said more warm weather is in store on Thursday.

"It's fair to say that summer is returning for a day. There will also be some sunshine in southern and central parts of the country," she said.

Despite the cool nights, surface water temperatures have remained relatively warm across the country. In most regions, even in Finnish Lapland, readings are close to 20 degrees Celsius.

This means that people still wanting to hit the beach this summer will have their chance now.

"You can still swim. In my opinion, 20-degree water is just right, refreshing actually," Heikinoja added.

But while the days are warm, water temperatures will begin to drop as nights gradually cool.

On Friday, showers and thunderstorms are expected across much of the country, although temperatures in the south are expected to reach around 23 degrees.

The weekend will bring cooler temperatures as well as soggy conditions. Sunday is currently forecast to stay mostly dry, but temperatures will remain just below 20 degrees.

UV protection still necessary

The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) meanwhile reported on Wednesday that UV radiation in July was the second-highest on record in both southern and northern Finland. Higher readings have only been recorded in the south in 2021 and in the north in 2018.

The threshold for UV protection, a UV index of 3, was exceeded every day in July. On 2 July, the index nearly reached 7, one of the highest values ever recorded in southern Finland.

The institute said sunny weather and unusually low ozone levels pushed UV readings higher, adding that sun protection is advised in southern Finland through September.