STOCKHOLM, January 12 (Xinhua) — Sweden is experiencing severe weather conditions, with snowstorms, floods, icy roads and avalanche warnings reported around the country.
The Swedish weather service SMHI issued the highest class 3 warning, the first in a decade, when 60 centimeters of snow fell in the Norrland region in the north of the country. The Class 3 warning for extreme weather signals potentially dangerous conditions that can cause extensive damage and major disruptions to public services as well as significant traffic problems.
On Tuesday morning, at least 6,000 households experienced power outages in the region and train traffic stopped with trees falling on the tracks in some places. Flash freezes have also led to unsafe conditions on the roads, Swedish media reported.
“It will be challenging to maintain the roads, and not only in the western Norrland region but also in Malardalen (central Sweden) and just south of Stockholm,” says Bengt Olsson, a spokesman for the Swedish Transport Administration, to Swedish Television.
Some parts of the north have seen strong wind forces, and in the northern mountainous region the avalanche risk level is now four on a five-point scale.
Petter Palmgren, an avalanche expert at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, told the local radio station P4 Jamtland that they counted on several avalanches only on Tuesday.
While weather conditions are particularly extreme in the north of the country, weather warnings in class 2 and class 1 have also been issued in several parts of Sweden, with warnings of heavy snowfall and rain and then freezing lightning due to a cold front overnight.
Source: sn.dk