State meteorologists were warning of a sudden interruption to the warm, sunny weather that returned to much of Southern Norway on Thursday. It’s forecast to be replaced Friday morning by extremely strong, even dangerous winds, and rain.
“Avoid going outdoors when it’s storming the worst,” Tone Christine Taule at the state meteorological institute in Bergen told weather website yr.no on Thursday afternoon. The institute has sent out so-called “orange” warnings for the counties of Vest-Agder, Aust-Agder, Telemark, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo, Hedmark and Oppland.
Orange is the second-highest storm warning level. Authorities were also evaluating sending out gold- and yellow warnings, the next highest levels, for Vestfold and Østfold counties.
Taule explained that a low-pressure system moving towards Norway is expected to grow in strength as it passes the west coast of Northern Germany, before heading into the North Sea off Denmark and then continue to gain strength during the night.
Warnings were up for hurricane-force winds off the coast of Denmark and full storm during the night and into the morning on Friday. That’s when the weather system is due to hit Norway.
“The winds will be strongest out at sea,” Taule told yr.no, “but we’re expecting a storm when the low-pressure system hits Norway Friday mornng.
The gusts of wind create the greatest concern, as they’re expected to reach more than 30 meters-per-second in the mountains of Southern Norway. Inland areas of Southeastern Norway can also get winds of up to 25 meters-per-second.
“Folks should absolutely drop any plans to go out on boats on Friday,” Taule said. “All loose items on balconies, verandas and gardens should be secured and it would be wise not to go outdoors when the winds are at their worst. Things can be blowing around and buildings can be damaged.”
The strongest winds are expected Friday afternoon and due to due down towards evening, first in the Agder counties, then in Telemark Oslo and Akershus. The winds will die out last in Buskerud, Oppland and Hedmark as the low-pressure system moves northwards and hits central Norway, Trøndelag and Nordland Friday night and Saturday. By then, however, the low-pressure system is expected to have weakened.
newsinenglish.no/Nina Berglund
