Hollywood star Tom Cruise made a surprise visit to Finland on Wednesday. Arriving by private jet at Kokkola-Pietarsaari Airport in the morning, he was greeted by Niina Seikkula, a ground handling supervisor at the airport. Tom Cruise

Seikkula, a Kokkola local, presented Cruise with a blue Marimekko gift bag featuring the traditional poppy pattern, which she had purchased herself.“In the bag, I put Fazer’s blue chocolate, a bag of salmiakki, and a card where I wrote ‘Welcome to Finland’ in English.“

Foreca’s weather states that Southern Europe is being hit by swelteringly unbearable heat. Foreca calls its forecast in the blog even tormenting. Finland has not recorded a single heatwave day in May, whereas a year ago, Finland had a record-breaking number of heatwave days.

A sweaty early summer is predicted for Southern Europe and occasionally also Central Europe.

According to the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts’ long-term forecast, air pressure is higher than usual in early summer, which, according to Foreca, may mean drier and hotter weather than average.

The long-term forecast predicts temperature spikes of up to 40 degrees in Mediterranean countries, and according to Foreca’s meteorologist Markus Mäntykannas, 30–40 degree heatwaves are occasionally likely also in central parts of Europe.

According to Foreca, if the heatwaves materialize, a hot late summer also becomes more likely, as a warmer-than-usual Mediterranean prolongs the heatwaves in Southern European countries.

This naturally does not apply to Finland. The long-term forecast predicts a subdued mood for those expecting beach weather here.