How to survive the rain

November 4, 2011 in How to, Lifestyle by miia

The Netherlands is widely known for its bad weather. People say it’s mostly cold and rainy here, and you will always hear the Dutchies complain about it. A lot of international students catch a cold, because they are not from around, and not used to the weather here. Do you want to feel great? Here’s some advice!

You might think rain belongs to the autumn, and in a certain way you are right. But here in the Netherlands it is common that it rains throughout the year, no matter what season it is. So don’t think in summer: “Ah well, it’s summer, the weather will be great!”. You will most likely be surprised, and soaked! The first advice is to check what the weather will be so you can be prepared. Saves you from a lot of problems!

When the forecast says it is going to rain, it’s wise to bring an umbrella. When they say it’s going to rain, it most definitely will. You can buy umbrellas practically everywhere, but if you want a small affordable one that still is good, you should go to the Kruidvat, Trekpleister or Blokker. Thye have umbrella’s in pocketsize, with nice prints on it, and they are affordable. If you prefer a bigger one, you should go to the Hema or Halfords. Of course there are a lot of other stores that sell umbrella’s, but these are the most common ones.

What to do if you don’t want to ride your bicycle holding an umbrella?

If you don’t want to hold an umbrella, you can buy a raincoat of rain suit. A rain suit is pants and a coat to keep you completely dry. Rain suits look awful, but they do work. So if you don’t want to look like you have just fallen into the water but don’t want an umbrella as well, act wisely, and buy yourself a raincoat or -suit. You can buy them at Halfords, but they are not really cheap. Hema sells cheaper ones. Rain suits aren’t cheap, but they protect you from the rain very well.

What to do if I get soaked anyway?

If you have an umbrella, it’s always wise to take some extra clothing with you, just in case the umbrella breaks. If you get soaked, you have some dry clothes to put on. That will prevent you from getting a cold, because wet clothing can make you ill.

Follow this advice, and you will have a dry stay here in Groningen!

At this page you can follow the weather broadcast in case for rainy days: http://www.weeronline.nl/

Text: Femke Woutersen, picture: TBSteve/Flickr