Sunny start to midsummer celebrations
Midsummer celebrations are off to a sunny start in most of the country, though cool air and rain are moving in from the south on Saturday. Bonfires are being lit by lake sides across the country in the absence of forest fire warnings.
The mercury topped 20 degrees Celsius in southern Finland on Friday, Midsummer Eve. In the north, the temperature hovered around a cool 15 degrees.
On Saturday, clouds and rain making their way into Finland will push the temperature below 20 degrees, though the mercury may climb above the 20-degree mark in central and western areas.
It's Lapland's turn to bask in sunshine towards the end of the holiday weekend, which is when the rest of the country can expect cool and unsettled conditions.
For many Finns, a June ritual is the first proper swim in a lake, river or the sea – known as “shedding one’s winter fur”. Traditionally this should happen before Midsummer Eve, but right now waters may be cooler than they were last week.
Rock festivals continue to take the place of traditional midsummer dancing for many midsummer holidaymakers.
For example, a star-filled bill of artists has once again attracted fans and nearby summer cottage dwellers to the Himos Festival at Jämsä in central Finland.
Among those performing are popular singer Paula Koivuniemi, Michael Monroe, former frontman of Hanoi Rocks who celebrated his fiftieth birthday last week as well Finnish bands Yö, Apulanta and PMMP.
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