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WEATHER

Sweden counts cost of winter snowfalls

Swedish municipalities are struggling to balance budgets as the cost of keeping streets and buildings free of snow continues to escalate as the winter keeps its hold on the country, according to a survey by the Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper.

Sweden counts cost of winter snowfalls

The Swedish meteorological agency, SMHI, has forecast more snowfalls for the coming weeks in most parts of the country as the coldest winter in memory continues to keep the whole of Sweden blanketed in white.

The costs for snow clearance has continued to climb as heavy new year snowfalls continue well into February with many of Sweden’s municipalities already exhausting allocated funds, according to the newspaper.

Malmö, Gotland, Halmstad and Kalmar have already used up their budgets, a further five already know that will overspend, and in a further 12 there is an overhanging risk of a deficit which will need to be carried over to budgets for 2011.

Councils will also be forced to cut back on road maintenance during the summer, with some warning of an impact on traffic security.

Malmö council, which has already spent 20 million kronor ($2.77 million), two million kronor more than budgeted, has advised that road painting and street-lighting is likely to be cutback during the summer to compensate.

Just as the harsh winter takes its toll on Sweden’s roads, municipalities may also be obliged to cut back on asphalting and reparation – at a time when it will be most needed.

“This is not good as it is often a question of safety. We know that it will not only affect asphalting; measures to reduce traffic speeds, and improve safety at pedestrian crossings, may also be delayed,” said Jan Sandberg at The National Society for Road Safety (NTF) to DN.

The railways and train services have also been a bone of contention for Swedes this winter with cancelled trains and widespread delays as a result of the sustained cold temperatures and snow.

Representatives for national rail operator SJ and the Swedish Rail Administration (Banverket) have on Thursday been called in to the parliament to account for the sub-standard service.

December was the worst month for delays in 15 years, according to Rail Administration statistics. Continued snow and ice indicate that problems are set to persist for Sweden’s hard hit commuters.

SMHI has forecast a further decimetre of snow in across Götaland and the Stockholm area on Thursday and Friday.

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WEATHER

Denmark records deepest snow level for 13 years

Blizzards in Denmark this week have resulted in the greatest depth of snow measured in the country for 13 years.

Denmark records deepest snow level for 13 years

A half-metre of snow, measured at Hald near East Jutland town Randers, is the deepest to have occurred in Denmark since January 2011, national meteorological agency DMI said.

The measurement was taken by the weather agency at 8am on Thursday.

Around 20-30 centimetres of snow was on the ground across most of northern and eastern Jutland by Thursday, as blizzards peaked resulting in significant disruptions to traffic and transport.

A much greater volume of snow fell in 2011, however, when over 100 centimetres fell on Baltic Sea island Bornholm during a post-Christmas blizzard, which saw as much as 135 centimetres on Bornholm at the end of December 2010.

READ ALSO: Denmark’s January storms could be fourth extreme weather event in three months

With snowfall at its heaviest for over a decade, Wednesday saw a new rainfall record. The 59 millimetres which fell at Svendborg on the island of Funen was the most for a January day in Denmark since 1886. Some 9 weather stations across Funen and Bornholm measured over 50cm of rain.

DMI said that the severe weather now looks to have peaked.

“We do not expect any more weather records to be set in the next 24 hours. But we are looking at some very cold upcoming days,” DMI meteorologist and press spokesperson Herdis Damberg told news wire Ritzau.

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