About Finland

The information on this page hopefully answers some of your questions about the weather in Finland, what you need to bring with you, what languages are spoken in Finland and what the Finnish people are like.

Finnish Weather

In Finland you will visibly notice all four seasons, the longest of which seems to be winter but the light and warm days of summer soon make up for the coldness of the darker season. You may have heard stories about the depressing darkness during the winter. Luckily, even during the darkest months southern Finland receives natural light from around 09:00 - 15:30 while in the north of Finland a couple of hours of light is more likely the case.

The temperature in Helsinki reaches up to the high twenties (degrees Celsius) in the summer months, and about +10 to +15 during spring.

As winter approaches the temperature starts to fall below 10 degrees during September and October. By November the snow often begins to fall usually not melting away again until April. The coldest winter month is February where the average daily temperature can reach -6 to -15 degrees. There may be even be the odd day where the temperature in Helsinki falls below - 20 degrees and sometimes even more. The wind can chill the air even more so be sure to wrap up in warm and wear protective clothes on a winter day.

What to Bring With You

You should bring normal clothes and shoes that you are used to wearing since the weather during the late spring, summer and early autumn is not different to that of mainland European countries. In addition, you need to be prepared for the winter. A good pair of waterproof shoes, a warm winter coat, woolen jumpers, thick warm socks, a scarf, pair of gloves and a woolen hat that also covers your ears will be needed. All of these items can also be bought in Finland of course. Hypermarkets offer good value and sell a wide range of such items during the season.

Finnish buildings, including schools are well heated and you should bear this in mind when dressing for school in winter. When considering shoes, you should also ensure that the base of the shoe has a good and strong grip. Streets of Helsinki are frequently cleared of snow and therefore it is not essential to have boots. When cleared of snow, the streets easily become covered with a layer of ice - a shoe with a smooth base will not support you on the ice.

Finland's Languages

Finland has three official languages: Finnish is the majority language and Swedish is spoken by about 6% of Finns. A minority population in Lapland speaks Lappish. In and around the large cities, especially in Helsinki, you should be able to deal with much of your everyday business in English especially with younger people.

If you have knowledge of the Swedish language, you should note that some words might differ because of the Finnish-Swedish dialect. The Finnish-Swedish accent is also considerably different to the accent of Swedes in Sweden.

Finland's People

You may perceive the Finns to be cold and difficult to get to know at first. Don't worry, not everyone is like this and once you get to know a Finnish person you can make a good and close friendship.

Younger people are often more open and friendly. It is strongly recommended for you to integrate with the Finns in your classes. Finns are said to be quiet and shy - unless they have been drinking when they seem to come out of their shell and talk to people they have never met before. If you are having troubles getting to know Finnish people invite them to a party!