" Umbrella " 's reign at number one in the United Kingdom occurred as the country was hit by extreme rainfall and flooding , which led the British national newspaper '' The Sun '' to humorously suggest the two events were related , with the media referring to it as the " Rihanna Curse . " The tabloid also highlighted the date of the single 's video shoot , which was Friday the 13th ( April 13 , 2007 ) , adding further coincidence to the curse . Before the single 's release on May 14 , the temperature in London was relatively high , reaching 20 °C . However , just a day after the release , " severe weather warnings hit the headlines " . An article in '' The Sun '' urged readers to join the campaign to knock the song off the chart 's top spot , suggesting to readers that they download more " positive " songs revolving around sun or summer such as Katrina and the Waves ' " Walking on Sunshine " and DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince 's " Summertime "
extreme rainfall and flooding
2007 United Kingdom floods
Umbrella (song)