Residents of Longyearbyen are evacuated because of forecasted harsh weather which is expected to bring large amounts of rain. The worst of the storm is expected at 21:00 o’clock Monday night.
– This is a type of extreme weather we are not accustomed on Svalbard and we are therefore uncertain how this will turn out in Longyearbyen.
In collaboration with avalanche experts from NVE, government decided to evacuate residents because of possibility for flood and landslide prone areas in Longyearbyen. Some roads will also be closed, said the governor’s Kjerstin Askholt.
A traffic ban is introduced in areas that have been evacuated and closed.
– We ask people not to move in the terrain. Loose objects should be secured, said Askholt.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
