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Helsinki vs Reykjavík
Comparing Helsinki change · Reykjavík change
Helsinki is the warmer of the two — about 1°C on the annual average; Reykjavík is the wetter, with 654 mm more rain a year, and Helsinki the sunnier.
How the seasons compare
The differences between Helsinki and Reykjavík, in everyday terms.
Summers
Helsinki has far hotter summers
Helsinki: Mild
Reykjavík: Cool
Winters
Reykjavík has much milder winters
Helsinki: Very cold
Reykjavík: Cold
Rain & snow
Reykjavík is wetter
Helsinki: Moderate rainfall
Reykjavík: Wet
Sky
Helsinki is sunnier
Helsinki: Often cloudy
Reykjavík: Often grey
Month-by-month charts
Temperature
Helsinki is the warmer of the two — about 1°C on the annual average.
Precipitation
Reykjavík is the wetter — about 654 mm more across the year.
Clear skies
Helsinki has the clearer skies — the higher line.
Exact monthly numbers
Tap a metric to open its full table. Desktop shows all twelve months; on a phone each metric splits into Jan–Jun and Jul–Dec.
Avg high (°C) Varies through the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | -2 | -2 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| Reykjavík | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
| Difference | +5 | +5 | +1 | -3 | -7 | -8 | -9 | -8 | -5 | -1 | +1 | +3 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | -2 | -2 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 20 |
| Reykjavík | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 12 |
| Difference | +5 | +5 | +1 | -3 | -7 | -8 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | 23 | 21 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| Reykjavík | 14 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
| Difference | -9 | -8 | -5 | -1 | +1 | +3 |
Avg low (°C) Varies through the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | -7 | -8 | -5 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 3 | -1 | -4 |
| Reykjavík | -1 | -2 | -2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | -1 |
| Difference | +6 | +6 | +3 | +1 | -1 | -4 | -5 | -3 | -1 | — | +1 | +4 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | -7 | -8 | -5 | 0 | 5 | 10 |
| Reykjavík | -1 | -2 | -2 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| Difference | +6 | +6 | +3 | +1 | -1 | -4 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | 13 | 12 | 8 | 3 | -1 | -4 |
| Reykjavík | 9 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | -1 |
| Difference | -5 | -3 | -1 | — | +1 | +4 |
Precipitation (mm) Reykjavík runs higher most of the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | 53 | 40 | 33 | 36 | 39 | 64 | 64 | 78 | 61 | 79 | 70 | 61 |
| Reykjavík | 133 | 127 | 109 | 75 | 93 | 50 | 95 | 135 | 128 | 114 | 149 | 123 |
| Difference | +80 | +87 | +76 | +40 | +54 | -13 | +31 | +57 | +66 | +35 | +80 | +62 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | 53 | 40 | 33 | 36 | 39 | 64 |
| Reykjavík | 133 | 127 | 109 | 75 | 93 | 50 |
| Difference | +80 | +87 | +76 | +40 | +54 | -13 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | 64 | 78 | 61 | 79 | 70 | 61 |
| Reykjavík | 95 | 135 | 128 | 114 | 149 | 123 |
| Difference | +31 | +57 | +66 | +35 | +80 | +62 |
Snowfall (cm)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Reykjavík | 28 | 40 | 29 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 30 |
| Difference | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Reykjavík | 28 | 40 | 29 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Difference | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Reykjavík | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 30 |
| Difference | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Cloud cover (%) Reykjavík runs higher most of the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | 75 | 70 | 65 | 66 | 62 | 65 | 63 | 63 | 67 | 75 | 77 | 77 |
| Reykjavík | 85 | 82 | 82 | 79 | 76 | 79 | 81 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 82 | 84 |
| Difference | +10 | +12 | +17 | +13 | +15 | +14 | +18 | +17 | +12 | +2 | +4 | +7 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | 75 | 70 | 65 | 66 | 62 | 65 |
| Reykjavík | 85 | 82 | 82 | 79 | 76 | 79 |
| Difference | +10 | +12 | +17 | +13 | +15 | +14 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | 63 | 63 | 67 | 75 | 77 | 77 |
| Reykjavík | 81 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 82 | 84 |
| Difference | +18 | +17 | +12 | +2 | +4 | +7 |
Relative humidity (%) Varies through the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | 98 | 98 | 93 | 83 | 77 | 78 | 80 | 82 | 86 | 92 | 96 | 97 |
| Reykjavík | 88 | 87 | 86 | 84 | 83 | 83 | 85 | 86 | 86 | 88 | 88 | 88 |
| Difference | -10 | -11 | -7 | +1 | +6 | +5 | +5 | +4 | — | -4 | -8 | -10 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | 98 | 98 | 93 | 83 | 77 | 78 |
| Reykjavík | 88 | 87 | 86 | 84 | 83 | 83 |
| Difference | -10 | -11 | -7 | +1 | +6 | +5 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | 80 | 82 | 86 | 92 | 96 | 97 |
| Reykjavík | 85 | 86 | 86 | 88 | 88 | 88 |
| Difference | +5 | +4 | — | -4 | -8 | -10 |
How both climates are changing
Both cities are warming. Each city has its own warming trend; see its trends page for the year-by-year detail. Helsinki trends → · Reykjavík trends →
Reykjavík from Cfc to Cfb.
Methodology & sources
Helsinki
Temperature & precipitation — 1991–2020 normals computed from 30 years of daily observations at Vantaa Helsinki-vantaan Lentoa, a weather station, about 18 km from the city centre. The underlying daily records come from NOAA's global station network.
Cloud, humidity, wind & sunshine — modelled estimates from NASA POWER, NASA's satellite-and-reanalysis climatology. This is the standard global source for atmospheric variables, which are not measured at most weather stations.
Reykjavík
Temperature & precipitation — 1991–2020 normals computed from 11 years of daily observations at Keflavik, a weather station, about 39 km from the city centre. The underlying daily records come from NOAA's global station network.
Cloud, humidity, wind & sunshine — modelled estimates from NASA POWER, NASA's satellite-and-reanalysis climatology. This is the standard global source for atmospheric variables, which are not measured at most weather stations.
← change Helsinki · change Reykjavík → · Helsinki page · Reykjavík page