Finnish floods worst in a decade

The mild holiday weekend weather has brought about a rapid acceleration of the spring thaw, with Finland suffering its worst flooding in ten years.

Hydrologist from Finland’s Environmental Administration, Bertel Venvilainen, said that frozen river ice was quickly breaking up across the country, with melting snow also contributing to a significant rise in water levels. The Vantaa River in particular is said to be at bursting point.

The most serious flooding has occurred in Salo, on the southern coast, where riverside buildings have been hit by the rising waters of the Uskela River. Local authorities have been deployed to pump flood water from basements as the frozen edges of the Halikko Gulf have backed up rivers into the mainland.

The rising water levels have also caused major damage to the farmlands of southern Ostrobothnia, where many fields have been submerged. The water levels are expected to peak this week, although similar flooding is predicted in northern Lapland in May.

Unexpected rainfall has also contributed to the threat of spring flooding on many Finnish rivers; however, YLE reports that water levels are still within normal range. The danger is that nutrients from soil may be washed into the Baltic Sea, with officials at the Environmental Association stating that phosphorus and nitrogen run-offs may be greater than usual.