Sea | The ice is now weak, several people who fell into the ice were rescued within a day

Icecap has weakened rapidly in the entire area of ​​the southern coast, warns the Coast Guard of the Gulf of Finland in message service X. The Coast Guard said on Thursday afternoon that several people who had sunk in ice have been rescued in Finland in the past 24 hours.

The Coast Guard does not under any circumstances recommend going to the sea ice again this spring, says the deputy head of the command center of the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard Teemu Niemelä. Going on the ice is not recommended even near the beaches.

On Thursday afternoon in Parain, Varsinais-Suomi, a sea rescue helicopter winched a person who had fallen into the ice out of the sea water. Maritime Guard of Western Finland told in Xthat the bystander had heard cries for help and seen movement far away on the surface of the ice.

On Wednesday evening, an ice fisherman was found drowned in Mynälahti in Masku, Varsinais-Suomi, said the Coast Guard of Western Finland.

Sea ice is thicker in places than normal at this time of year, but it has started to weaken, the Finnish Meteorological Institute told STT on Thursday.

The ice has begun to weaken, especially on the southern coast and the Archipelago Sea.

According to Marine Guard Niemelä, estimating the thickness and load capacity of the ice is difficult, and the ice is starting to become weak. Ice that lasts on the shore may fail a short distance below. There may be currents under the ice and the ice may be jagged.

Stabbing means that cavities form in the ice layer. Vesi.fi website According to

According to Niemelä, the saying about the treachery of spring ice is true.

“The ice situation changes every day. The temperature varies, and if there is water on top of the ice, it can make the ice even more fragile.”

If you need to go on the ice for some reason, Niemelä recommends preparing yourself with a survival suit, nibbles and flotation devices. You shouldn't go on the ice alone either.

With many At the observation sites of the ice thickness in southern and central Finland, the ice cover had remained unchanged or slightly thinner compared to the beginning of March, it is reported Vesi.fion the site.

In the measurements of March 20, the total ice thickness of the water bodies of Southern and Central Finland varied between 32 centimeter and almost 70 centimeter. The measurement results correspond quite well to the average of the time.

In northern Finland, the ice cover has both thinned and grown, depending on the observation location. In North Ostrobothnia, Kainuu and Lapland, the total ice thickness of the lakes varied between slightly less than 50 centimeter and 90 centimeter.

According to the website, the ice cover can be unpredictably fragile even in familiar waterways, especially in streams and narrows, as well as near waterway structures and vegetation. If there is snow on the ice, it prevents weak areas from being observed.

The website reminds us that as the sun's radiation increases, the thickness of the ice no longer tells about its load-bearing capacity.

Warming weather weakens the ice cover. According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the thermometer already showed thirteen plus degrees in Rauma on Thursday. In addition, readings above 10 degrees were measured in several locations in the southern and central parts of the country.

The southerly currents make Easter in the capital region spring-like, and avoid night frosts. In the coming days, the temperature in the capital region will probably not drop below freezing, even at night.