More storms with strong winds were threatening to close more mountain highways in southern Norway on Thursday, just as hundreds of thousands of people are trying to head home for the holidays.
“We can’t promise that motorists will be able to avoid disruption before Christmas,” meteorologist Gunnar Livik told state broadcaster NRK.
Winds, blowing snow and poor visibility had already forced state highway authorities into restricting transport over both Hardangervidda and Haukeli to escorted convoys (kolonnekjøring). With the weather due to worsen, both highways may be closed, along with others.
Only the highway over Vikafjellet was closed early Thursday morning. It reopened to convoy traffic later in the day. State highway 52 was also closed over Hemsedalsfjellet after a truck skidded off the road and blocked it.
A low-pressure system moving in from the North and Norwegian seas was also threatening storms both in Trøndelag and along the West Coast on Saturday, also known as lille julaften (Little Christmas Eve).
newsinenglish.no staff
