Extreme weather Canute visits Norway

Canute Extreme Weather Oslo FjordThe danger level has been raised to Red in several counties. The meteorologists expect severe storms with waves of up to seven metres in the Oslo Fjord when the extreme weather Knud (Canute) visits Norway on Friday. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB scanpix

The Extreme weather Canute visits southern Norway

The Extreme weather Knud (Canute) has made its presence known with gusts up to hurricane level in places. Trees are falling over, ferries are cancelled and people are asked not to use their cars.

 

Already early on Friday afternoon, the wind levels increased a lot from Rogaland and Agder in the South West, and the storm rapidly moved across the eastern part of Norway, bringing along heavy rains and strong winds –  actually very wet in terms of water.

Currently, no serious injuries have been reported, but the extreme weather known as Knud (Canute), is not to be taken lightly. Danger level Red is issued when it is expected to be “extreme consequences” due to the weather.

– There will be a substantial danger of lives being lost, and that there will be major damage to both property and infrastructure. Authorities and civilians in affected areas are encouraged to take measures that help secure life and reduce the amount of damage, it is stated in the guidelines for the notification services.

Garage roof on the head

On Twitter, both the police districts and the fire departments along the entire south coast of Norway and along the Oslo Fjord report of trees that fall over, roofs and unsecured objects that fly through the air. People are quite simply asked to stay indoors.

– We are at Ekebergsletta where a number of soccer goals are caught by the wind and about to blow away. We are cordoning off the area and working to secure the trees. We urge that the people in the area stay clear, the Oslo Police tweeted at 5 pm.

– At Ravnåsveien, a tree fell over the road and hit a car. The driver is fortunately unharmed, but there is major material damage to the car, the Oslo Police tweeted a little earlier in the afternoon.

In Kristiansand, a person got a garage roof over his head and was taken by ambulance to the local hospital. The person is conscious. The amount of injury sustained is, however, not known at the moment.

Worst tonight

The meteorologists have announced that the extreme weather Canute will be at its strongest from 6 to 9 pm. The extreme weather alert applies to the counties Oslo, Akershus, Østfold and Vestfold. The danger level is at orange for Rogaland, Agder, Telemark, Buskerud, Hedmark and Oppland. The only reason why there is no extreme weather warning in those counties is that the infrastructure can withstand more.

– The damage potential is not as high, even though the weather is equally wild, State Meteorologist, Vibeke Thyness, tells NTB.

In many counties, large trees thunder to the ground, including at the Caledonia hotel in Kristiansand where a rental car was crushed by a falling tree. The police in Agder reminds us that there is a lot of wind exposed areal in large trees – since the leaves are still attached to the branches.

– Large trees that are rigid will, therefore, be exposed to the wind. The Wergeland Park is, for example, closed to the public because of that, the Agder police states.

Cancellations and Power

-in excess of 43,000 customers were out of electric power in the Agder counties due to Canute on Friday afternoon, according to NRK.

Warnings of 10 metres tall waves led to both Color Line and Fjord Line cancelling a number of departures. DFDS was also affected, while Stena Line cancelled the route to Frederikshavn and instead chose to bide their time in the Oslo Fjord and eventually return to port in Oslo.

In Oslo and several other places, a number of outdoor events are cancelled or postponed. In the Norwegian capital, there are no football matches on Friday, and parents of children in schools and kindergartens, including in Kristiansand, were encouraged to pick up their children at around 3 pm.

The wind reached hurricane levels at the Lindesnes Lighthouse on Friday afternoon, with gusts of wind measured at up to 42.5 metres per second.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today