The H5N8 virus was detected in sick and injured birds in February and early March this year, including in a swan found dead in Helsinki's Eläintarhanlahti park and a goshawk sent to Korkeasaari Wildlife Hospital from Kumpula. Several birds infected with avian influenza have been found in Uusimaa this winter.
The blaze destroyed large swathes of forest this week.
According to Simo Laine, head horticulturalist at botanical garden in Turku, southwest Finland, it could well be the first time that the blooms have made an appearance in the country as early as January.
For example, Espoo's district of Nuuksio recorded 24.8 degrees celsius (77 F) on Tuesday. Many people across the country took advantage of the warm temperatures and headed outdoors with some opting to go swimming in lakes or pools.
Flocks of whooper swans have been grazing in a field in southwestern Finland, although these swans don't typically return to Finland until March or April, according to Finland’s environment administration.
The mercury hit 16.6 degrees C at Mariehamn airport on Friday, beating Tuesday’s record-breaking high of 14.7 C in Pori.
An exceptionally warm air current from the southeast has kept days and nights unseasonably mild in southern and central Finland since last week. Meanwhile the north of the country has been shivering with rain and temperatures in the single digits. The highest reading in decades was recorded in Kokemäki, southwest Finland.
Finland is emerging from a deep freeze, giving way to milder temperatures and more snow. On Saturday three people in Helsinki fell through the ice at two different locations within the same 15-minute period.
An extended period of hot, dry weather is affecting the harvest outlook and impacting grain growth. Even the wild berry season, which was off to a good start, may be in peril.
Trees across the region were torn down by the stormy gusts, falling on houses, cars and power lines.
Finland says the low concentrations of radioactive material found in air samples pose no danger.
Train service between Hämeenlinna and Toijala was halted by a fallen tree, while some 13,000 households lost power.
Ascension Thursday, a Finnish holiday, was unforgettable for Keeri Sjöblom, 13, who lives in Kimitoön, a maritime municipality in southwest Finland.
A high of 14.7 degrees Celsius was measured in the southwestern city of Pori on Monday night.
Anopheles daciae, commonly found in eastern Europe and the Balkan States and thought to be possible carriers of malaria, has been observed in several regions of Finland.
The eyewitness, who first heard the animal splashing by the southeastern coast, said she couldn't believe her eyes.
Some migrant birds are already flocking to the north, but a cold snap may delay more returns.
Lapland was Finland's hottest region on Monday with a measuring station in the village of Utsjoki recording 33.5 degrees celsius. A high-pressure front dominating Central and Eastern Europe is behind the drought and high temperature readings.
Conditions will heat up with every passing day and weekend highs will be in the 20s across the country.
The cherry blossoms along the Aura riverbank are a huge draw for tourists and photo enthusiasts every year around mid-May. The city's head gardener said he was amazed by the sight of the flowers budding this time of year.
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