Finland will reach its darkest point of the year on Sunday, as the winter solstice occurs. From Monday, daylight will begin to increase across the country.
The solstice marks the moment the Earth’s northern hemisphere tilts furthest from the Sun, causing the shortest day and longest night of the year. The precise timing this year falls between 17:02 and 17:03, depending on the source, due to minor differences in astronomical calculations.
According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the length of daylight on Sunday will vary sharply across the country. In Helsinki, the sun rose at 9:24 and will set at 15:13, giving a day length of 5 hours and 49 minutes. In Oulu, the day will last only 3 hours and 35 minutes, while in Rovaniemi, it will last just 2 hours and 15 minutes.
North of the Arctic Circle, in places like Utsjoki, the sun has not risen for weeks. The polar night there will continue until 17 January.
In southern Finland, afternoons have already begun to brighten, while mornings remain darker until late December. The latest sunrises in Helsinki are expected between 25 and 28 December.
On Monday in Helsinki, there will still be 16 hours and 14 minutes of full darkness, plus 58 minutes of twilight in both the morning and evening.
Though light returns slowly, the darkest day has passed.
HT