Pouring rain throughout the weekend caused more problems in Southern Norway, flooding cellars and roads in several areas. Rivers and creeks ran over their banks and bridges were closed, with the rain not letting up until Monday morning. Lifjell in Telemark recorded the most rain, with 106 millimeters in a 24-hour period. Porsgrunn and Ås […]
Thousands of farmers apply for compensation
November 2, 2018
More than 14,000 farmers are seeking state taxpayer-funded compensation for crop losses following last summer’s drought. The number compares to 890 last year, reports newspaper Nationen. Most of the farmers seeking financial aid over and above the subsidy and tariff protection they also receive are located in the counties of Oppland, Østfold and Akershus, according […]
Glacier recedes by a ‘dramatic’ degree
October 31, 2018
Another Norwegian glacier has shown “dramatic” signs of being threatened by climate change. The Nigard Glacier in Jostedalen lost fully 80 meters of its ice just this past summer. It was the warmest summer ever recorded in Norway, also characterized by a severe drought. That contributed to how the Nigard Glacier receded to a degree […]
Wheels spin in first snow of the season
October 29, 2018
The winter’s first snow started arriving in Southern Norway during the weekend, and a lot more was expected through Tuesday. Meteorologists warned motorists of slippery roads that already were sending some vehicles spinning out of control. A bus with 30 passengers ran off the road and into a ditch on Myravegen in Arendal on Monday. […]
Flash floods sweep through valleys
October 14, 2018
UPDATED: Torrential rains and a freak rise in temperatures that rapidly melted snow in Western Norway led to flash flooding during the weekend, forcing evacuations and causing widespread damage in many mountain and valley areas. One barn was swept off its foundation and moved 50 meters, with 13 goats inside. Several local mayors were describing […]
Record warmth in Bergen
October 11, 2018
Summer apparently isn’t over yet, with clear, sunny weather in much of Southern Norway and rain on the West Coast giving way to warm sunshine as well. So warm, that it set another record on Thursday. “Bergen has been lucky today,” state meteorologist Geir Ottar Fagerli told state broadcaster NRK on Thursday. “The warm spell […]
Funding sinks for a ships’ tunnel
October 9, 2018
More than 100 years of hopes and plans for a unique tunnel for ships off Norway’s West Coast are now desperately treading water. No funding at all was allocated for the project in the conservative government’s state budget proposal for next year. The long-discussed tunnel would allow fishing boats and other vessels to avoid sailing […]
Summer weather returns to the south
October 8, 2018
Skies turned sunny once again over Oslo on Monday, after an unusually warm weekend. State meteorologists predict the mild autumn weather will stick around for awhile. Some areas of Southern- and Central Norway may see thermometers creep back up to 20C (nearly 70F). While the annual autumn holiday week is over in Oslo, Akershus and […]
Weather may spoil autumn holidays
September 28, 2018
Norway’s tradition “høstferie” (autumn holidays) start this weekend but those heading for the mountains were warned to drive carefully. Early snow and frost were making roads slick, and dangerous for vehicles not yet equipped with winter tires. The state highway department was urging anyone planning to drive over the mountains, in the area between Bergen […]
Emergency communications crashed in storm
September 24, 2018
Norway has invested nearly NOK 6 billion (USD 750 million) in a new communications system for emergency services, but it hasn’t always worked during storms and power failures. Local mayors are furious, but state officials claim the system was built in accordance with cost specifications. Around 50,000 households in southwestern Norway lost power during last […]
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