Warnings for several hazards including severe thunderstorm warning, heavy rain warning, forest fire warning, heat wave warning, and thunderstorm wind gusts for sea areas. All warning types aim for safety of population, and some of the warnings are directly health related.
This air quality index is used to describe the air quality in simple terms and an easy-to-understand color scale. It is based on measured air quality data and gives an overall characterization of the actual air quality. Finnish air quality index is an hourly index which describes the air quality each day, based on hourly values and updated every hour.
Strong wind gusts may occur in connection with thunderstorms, causing a lot of damage. Severe thunderstorm warnings contains warnings on thunderstorm gusts. There are not any lightning warnings, but in emergency warnings there are.
The purpose of the warnings on extreme temperatures is to prevent health problems resulting from cold and hot weather. The warnings are mainly intended for risk groups and people who work outdoors.
A heat wave warning is issued if stifling hot weather has been forecasted for some area in Finland. Criteria for cold weather warnings are based on wind chill index, which describes the combined effect of cold and wind. Warnings for hot and cold weather are for the next 5 days.
There are three different level of forest fire warnings (yellow, orange and red) and one in grass fire warnings (yellow). They all refer in law to the same thing, that it is forbidden to start open fire. Probability for large and quickly progressive forest fires increase, when it is orange or red warning.
A forest fire warning is usually given and cancelled at 6 am. The warnings are specific to each province. Municipality-specific warnings may also be given in Northern Ostrobothnia (mainly for Kuusamo, Taivalkoski and Pudasjärvi) and in Lapland.
Forest fire warnings are issued using an index calculated by means of a model that describes moisture conditions in the top soil layer measuring about 6 centimetres in thickness. The input data for the model includes precipitation and air temperature.
Most often, the first forest fire warnings of the year are issued in early May. The forest fire warning season ends in September or at the latest in early October.
Sun protection is required when the UV index is 3 or higher. The forecast for the daily maximum UV index is valid for cloudless conditions. Only thick clouds attenuate the UV radiation considerably.
The Finnish Meteorological Institute gives warnings about highly slippery pedestrian weather. Then extra attention should be paid to the choice of footwear and slip guards should be worn. There may be wide local variations in walkway conditions. It depends on factors such as maintenance practices and the volume of traffic.
The warning specifies the cause and duration of slippery conditions. Between about seven and twenty warnings are issued each year per region.
