Geiranger isolated, emergency ferry ordered in

Skiing in Geiranger on a clear summer's day. Photo: Visit Norway

Geiranger isolated, emergency ferry ordered in

Geiranger in Møre og Romsdal is isolated as a result of the storm on Sunnmøre and an emergency ferry has been ordered to the area.

 

Both roads to the hamlet are closed for traffic due to slides, and the inhabitants were without phone and electricity for a while. The power supply was restored around 11 am.

The police tweets that emergency services are deployed at the care centre in Geiranger if assistance is needed. According to the police in Møre & Romsdal, it is uncertain when the roads reopen for traffic.

County Road 63 between Indreeide and Geiranger is not opened on Monday, according to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. An emergency ferry has been ordered between Geiranger and Hellesylt. On Tuesday at 11 am, a renewed assessment of the situation will be issued.

The bad weather with heavy winds and snow showers has led to several challenges, not least by difficult driving conditions. A number of mountain crossings were completely closed for traffic or was open for convoys only.

The Road Traffic Center informs that there is a risk of convoys being imposed on the E16 over Filefjell. There is also convoys on E134 over Haukelifjell. The same is true for national road 52 over the Hemsedal mountain and the stretch may be closed for traffic altogether. The national road 15 over Strynefjellet and county road 53 between Årdal and Tyin are both closed for all traffic as well.

Rough weather

Central Norway was overwhelmed by a mix of thunder, lightning, snow, rain and hail on Monday as a result of a polar low pressure.

During the night before Monday, extreme winds were recorded on the coast of Trøndelag. The measuring station at Ørlandet measured a gust of 54.6 metres per second, which corresponds to 196.6 kilometres per hour. It is the strongest gust that is registered at Ørlandet since the measurement started in 1982, writes Adresseavisen.

In addition to strong wind, there have been 50 lightning strikes over Trøndelag the last 24 hours, according to the Meteorological Institute’s map of lightning activity. The thunder and lightning storm led to an unparalleled light show, writes the newspaper. Several experienced a blackout in the morning hours.

The police in Trøndelag received several inquiries on Monday morning from upset persons that were awakened by the storm.

Heavy snowfall

During the night, the snow has come down thick and fast all over Western Norway. The mountain area, Åkerneset, in Møre og Romsdal received 44 millimetres of snow. The Mannen Mountain was blessed with 35 millimetres of the flurry stuff. The meteorologists report that a millimetre of falling snow equates to one centimetre in the terrain.

The bad weather has created trouble for several ferry connections.

The Norwegian Meteorological Institute has sent out several hazard warnings. There is a large avalanche hazard in, among other places, Trollheimen, Romsdal, Sunnmøre and Indre Fjordane. The Meteorological Institute has also sent out a yellow hazard warning for wind up to gale force, as well as very challenging driving conditions.

It is expected that the storm will continue through Monday, with strong winds in the coastal areas in particular. The wind will probably decrease from storm to gale along the coast through the evening.


© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
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