Stormy weather and high avalanche danger in Northern Norway

Stormy weather Mountain CrossingsStormy weather. Photo: Statens vegvesen webkamera / NTB scanpix

The Meteorological Institute has issued warnings forecasting strong winds, heavy rainfall and severe conditions in Northern Norway for Wednesday and Thursday. Several roads are closed.

On Tuesday the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate upgraded the avalanche danger to high-a danger level four for Vest-Finnmark due to powerful mild weather and large amounts of rain.

Wednesday the avalanche risk was downgraded to danger level three – considerable.

However, in Nordland and Troms the avalanche danger is high for Lyngen, Tromsø, Sør-Troms, Indre Troms, Lofoten and Vesterålen, Ofoten, Salten and the Svartisen.

Tuesday night there was an avalanche on E6 in Finnmark which blocked a long stretch of the road between Stabbursdalen and Lakselv, but the road was re-opened on Wednesday morning.

According to NRK, 18 roads are closed and several ferry services have been cancelled in Finnmark Wednesday morning. The Publilc Road Administration (Statens vegvesen) reports that E6 Sennalandet and E6 Hatter are closed due to inclement weather, in addition to E69 Nordkapptunnelen on the stretch of road from Olderfjord – Honningsvåg and Skipsfjordhøgda toll booth – Skarsvåg.

In Nordland E6 over Saltfjellet is closed, and Vegvesen also reports that there is snow, ice and dangerous slippery conditions for sections of several mountain passes.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today