State meteorologists were warning Norwegians to brace for some of the most torrential rain in 25 years on Monday. An extreme weather system dubbed “Hans” was heading for the region, with much of the mountain area between Oslo and Trondheim literally on red alert.
“This is a very serious situation,” hydrologist Trine Heggedal state waterways agency NVE told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) on Sunday afternoon. Alert levels ranged from yellow in the area south of Oslo to orange in the Oslo area east to the Swedish border and westward, and red for most of the mountain area.
The biggest danger is potential landslides, and not just in the steepest areas. The situation was especially worrisome in Sogn og Fjordane, Møre og Romsdal and southern Trøndelag.
Officials at state railroad agency BaneNOR warned that it may be necessary to shut down most all train lines through the area, including Bergensbanen between Oslo and Bergen from midnight. Meteorologists were expecting 35 millimeters an hour through Monday and into Tuesday, more rain than Norway has seen in 25 years.
Residents were uged to simply stay home, to avoid expected flooding, unless they live in especially vulnerable areas that may need to be evacuated. Any plans for hiking in the mountains should be postponed, said Heggedal.
NewsinEnglish.no staff
