Despite its latitude Finland enjoys a temperate climate, due to the maritime influence of the Gulf Stream. The four seasons divide the year in Finland into very distinct parts. The summer temperature encourages sunbathingand sport, and the spectacular spring and autumn seasons help to counterbalance the effect of the winter. The mean temperature may exceed + 20 degrees C. in the warmest summer months. The coldest months are January and February, when the mean temperature is between -6 and -15 degrees.

During the summer it never gets really dark, and in the north the sun does not set at all for some time. During the winter months there are six hours of full daylight in the south while for two months in the far north the sun never rises above the horizon.

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