No sunburn: 12 upsides of terrible Finnish summer weather

In Finland, summer is a time for restoring sanity after months of bleak fall and winter. There is usually no spring to speak of. The weather in June, July and August often fails to meet expectations of a great summer.

Luckily, there are upsides to everything. In theory, at least. These are the arguably sunny sides of bad Finnish summers.

1. There is no need for air conditioning

You do not need to compensate for the poor availability of unnecessary air conditioning when the temperature never rises.

2. You have a perfect excuse to travel abroad

When it rains for three weeks straight, nobody questions your decision to fly to the Mediterranean.

3. You can invest time in esoteric indoor sports

Bad weather allows you to focus on indoor hobbies without the guilt of missing out on the sun.

4. Fewer tourists will be jamming up the bike lanes

The casual cyclists stay home when the wind is horizontal.

5. Deck chairs are dangerous anyway

Avoiding the sun means avoiding the structural failures of folding furniture.

6. There will be less of a mosquito problem

A cold early summer prevents the mosquito population from reaching its full, blood-sucking potential.

7. You have more time to catch up on movies and TV

Indoor entertainment is the logical choice when the outdoors is hostile.

8. There are plenty of relaxing podcasts and radio

You can listen to relaxing podcasts while waiting for the rain to stop.

9. You can read creepypasta ghost stories

Wrap yourself in a blanket and read creepypasta. The grey light outside suits the mood.

10. Fewer picnics will be ruined by thieving birds

If you do not eat outside, the seagulls cannot steal your food.

11. There is less of a sinking feeling without a vacation

If you have to work through the summer, it is easier to do so when the weather is miserable anyway.