The previous hottest day on record in Finland was July 9, 1914, when a reading of 35.9 degrees was made in Turku, several years before the nation gained its independence. The previous highest reading in independent Finland was made on July 15, 1934, when the mercury climbed to 35.6 in Lieksa, near the Russian border.

Temperatures exceeded 33 degrees in several places on Wednesday. In Kouvola, south-east Finland, there was a reading of 34.4 degrees. At Lappeenranta Airport in eastern Finland, the thermometer showed 33.8 C while in Lahti the temperature topped 35 degrees.

This year has been highly unusual, with one of the coldest winters in decades followed by the hottest summer in living memory. There have been readings of over 30 degrees nearly every day in July so far.

During the two previous summers, the 30-degree mark was never even reached.