With temperatures set to plunge this weekend and a snowstorm forecast for the south, many lakes and waterways across Finland will freeze over even further.
For example, the thickness of the ice at Haukivesi on Lake Saimaa — Finland's largest lake — is estimated by the local Ely centre to be about 15 centimetres while other lakes in the region are between 22 and 33cm thick.
This means that it should be possible to walk, ski or skate on the surface of some lakes — but with caution.
Heikki Tanskanen, an environmental planner at the Ely Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment in Mikkeli, told Yle that ice must be at least five centimetres thick in order for an adult to safely move across it.
However, because the thickness of the ice varies greatly between different places, Tanskanen advised people to be careful and take the necessary precautions, such as carrying stitching awls (naskalit in Finnish).
An average of 18 people drown in Finland every year after falling through weak ice.
The Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation (FSL) has issued a guide on what to do if you fall through the ice.
In the video below, which contains some Finnish language dialogue, Yle journalist Titta Puurunen demonstrates how to recover after falling through weak ice. The video was produced in cooperation with the Central Finland Rescue Department.
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