A sudden onslaught of strong winds from the north toppled trees, shut down a major train line and left thousands in southeastern Norway without electricity on Wednesday. A storm at this time of year is unusual, and traffic officials were warning motorists to drive with care.
The wind storm caused damage from Folldal in the north to the entire region around Lake Mjøsa to the south. Trees crashing down over power lines cut off electricity to more than 9,200 homes in the eastern area known as Østlandet, reported power company Elvia.
The Dovrebanen train line was forced to shut down between Lillehammer and Ringebu, while forests were flattened in Nord-Østerdal. Traffic was reduced to a crawl on both the main E6 and RV4 highways leading on to the bridge over Mjøsa.
Police also had to cordon off several streets in downtown Lillehammer after roofing and siding from buildings were blown off. State meteorologists were also sending out warnings about strong winds around the Oslo Fjord, with small craft warnings in place.
newsinenglish.no staff
