Extreme weather conditions pose increasing danger to large summer events, highlighting need for improved safety measures

Sudden and extreme weather conditions can pose significant challenges to event organizers, despite attempts to anticipate these changes. Over recent years, several serious accidents and dangerous situations caused by weather have occurred at large summer events.

In late June, a woman from Siilinjärvi died at the Pudasjärvi Suviseurat event when a temporary 15-meter high GSM base station link mast snapped during a thunderstorm and fell on her. A severe thunderstorm in early June interrupted the YleX Pop free concert in Seinäjoki, and last year, a Depeche Mode concert in Helsinki’s Kaisaniemi was cancelled due to a predicted storm.

The most serious accident to date occurred at the 2010 Sonisphere Festival in Pori, where one person died and one was seriously injured when a powerful downdraft shook the Kirjurinluoto arena, injuring about 40 people. Downdrafts are often associated with thunderstorm gusts causing wind damage.

At the end of July in Oulu, according to Nikolas Pajunen, the safety manager of the Qstock festival, the biggest problem could arise from an approaching storm with strong winds. Such downdrafts are dangerous and can topple tent structures. Larger structures, such as stages and large screens, are grounded to protect against lightning and are built to withstand storms, but tents could suffer the most, says Pajunen.

In 2013, a hot air balloon was even used to assess weather risks before a HIM concert. Pajunen states that all eventualities have been prepared for.

The weather has also been taken into account in the risk management of the Suopotkupallo World Championships held in Hyrynsalmi over the weekend. Event coordinator Emilia Lehtinen, however, reminds that the majority of accidents are minor sprains and strains.

According to Kurt Kokko, director of the Accident Investigation Board (Otkes), event organizers should be prepared for such situations. He says that there is a duty of care and that organizers should react and manage all structures on the event area during exceptional situations. Overall, serious incidents are quite rare, and awareness and expertise among organizers have increased, suggesting a trend toward improvement.