The Norwegian government has issued an extreme weather warning for some southern areas, advising residents to stay up to date with the latest meteorological notices.
The Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness said it was following the developments of the Hans storm, which is believed to be the hardest one to have hit these regions in the last 25 years.
“The civil defence has a high level of preparedness and has material and equipment ready. The feedback is that preparedness is in place,” the Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness Emilie Enger Mehl said.
Furthermore, a river in Gran municipality has burst its banks, leading to forced evacuations from the area, while the municipalities of Vaga and Sondre Land also have residents evacuated.
The extreme weather event has led to travel disruptions in many regions of Norway, hitting residents and tourists.
The most impacted by this weather are ferries such as the Color Line, and Fjordline as well as trains between Hamar and Lillehammer, which will be closed up until Wednesday.
The trains between Oslo and Oslo Airport are closed, which is causing long queues for replacement buses. In addition, the Rauma railway will remain closed all day, making it nearly impossible to travel between Andalsnes with the Oslo-Trondheim line at Dombas.
As per air travel, airports remain open across Norway with airport operator Avinor saying that delays may occur.
Some roads also remain closed while for those that are open, authorities advise drivers to be extra careful while driving through them.
The popular tourist attraction of Trollsigen is also closed, while Geirangerfjellet is closed from Monday afternoon throughout the Langvatn to Geiranger.
The highways have also been affected by the weather conditions with problems being reported on the main E6 highway in Oslo, at Abildso and near the Tusenfryd park, which is also closed.
The E6 hell tunnel has also been shut down due to the large amount of water on the road, which hastens the way to Trondheim Airport.
“I would encourage people to follow the weather forecast for their area and refer to the information in Nødvarsel. Everyone can contribute with good self-preparedness if they stay up-to-date and make the necessary preparations or measures,” the Minister pointed out.
Authorities point out that even if some roads remain open, those should be approached with extra caution at these times.
Provided that Norway is highly dependent on hydropower, as it is the country’s domestic electricity use, the storm is expected to impact electricity prices.
The average daily price is negative in every one of the five Norwegian price areas. At its lowest point, the electricity price is down to -€6.39/MWh.
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