The City of Oslo, which has banned private use of fireworks in and around downtown for safety reasons, spent NOK 800,000 (USD 93,000) putting on another public fireworks display on New Year’s Eve. Unfortunately, hardly anyone was able to see it.
After a clear, sunny day on Saturday, a sudden fog enveloped Oslo just before midnight. It completely ruined what was supposed to be a folkefest (people’s party), especially along the waterfront.
“We carried out the fireworks program as planned,” city official Jenny Wallheden Krohn told TV2. “It’s of course unfortunate that the weather was bad, but we can’t do anything about that.”
In some areas, visibility was so poor that police in Romerike urged motorists to stop driving and wait until the fog had lifted. “We can only see around a meter in front us,” police reported on social media. By Sunday morning, New Year’s Day, the weather in Oslo was crystal clear once again. Many fireworks displays were rained out or blown away by storms elsewhere around the country.
newsinenglish.no staff
