Rainy Midsummer

It's been raining almost every day this week, and looks like we'll get more rain for the next weekend:

I had to reload the weather forecast a few times to make sure the web page was working properly. From Thursday to Tuesday, no sun at all? Rain and cloudy, cold days? On the Midsummer Day weekend, one of the biggest holiday weekends of the year, when people want to spend their time at the cottage at country side and at the beaches? Dancing by the bonfires at the lake?

Perfect!

You see, Midsummer is very often spent in the country. A lot of people go to their cottage, which is often by a lake. After the cold winter, people want to enjoy the green summer and swimming in the lakes and rivers. There's bonfires by the lakes and dances at the dance halls.

Unfortunately, alcohol is often involved. Getting drunk and then going swimming in the lake after the Sauna does not mix. Getting drunk while dancing at the bonfire and then going swimming does not mix. Falling into the lake while drunk does not mix. Although not all drownees are drunk, a lot of them are.

Midsummer Day weekend is when the drowning rates are at their highest. Also there's a lot of traffic, with a lot of people travelling to the countryside to the cottages and to see their relatives. A lot of traffic means a lot of accidents too. Despite excellent driving conditions (or maybe because of them) there's the same number of fatal accidents in June as in December, when it's dark, cold and icy.

As most of the country is on holiday, there's not much for the tabloids to write about. So the number of people drowned or killed in traffic accidents is good material to them. Not this weekend, though. The cold and rainy weather means that a lot less people are going to a midnight swim. Well, I hope the drivers are careful, too.

Happy Midsummer!