Heavy downpour disrupts normal life in Helsinki

A heavy rain caused major problems in downtown Helsinki on Friday morning, as metro traffic in the city core had to be suspended as water entered the station platforms.

A Finnish language newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported that in downtown underground car parks, people trying to get in had to cope with water that rose to the waist level.

Influx of water had been sudden following the disruption of a major rainwater pipe line. No casualties were reported.

The newspaper quoted the Finnish Meteorological Institute as saying that rain in downtown Helsinki amounted to 54 mm during the last 12 hours. The cumulative total for August is usually 70 or 80 mm, and now the amount within a few hours nearly matched the total.

The rainfall concentrated in Helsinki, whereas the two neighboring cities, Espoo and Vantaa, only got under 20 mm.

The rain stopped before noon, but a new rain front was approaching. Local media showed pictures of downtown streets turning into rivers.

Most of the large underground car parks in the city center have been built in the 1990s or later. The metro tunnel opened in 1980.