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WEATHER

Multiple mountain passes in Norway closed on New Year’s Eve

A number of mountain passes in Norway are closed on New Year's Eve. The police are warning drivers to watch out for difficult driving conditions in many places in the country.

Mountain pass
Several mountain passes in Norway are closed, and police advise drivers to be cautious due to challenging driving conditions. Photo by Tobias Tullius / Unsplash

The driving conditions are particularly challenging when it comes to mountain passes.

“It can be rough when it comes to the mountain passes. Consider whether you have to go out for a drive. And if you have to, then bring some provisions in the car and fill the tank,” road traffic operator Erland Tretteskog at Vegtrafikksentralen told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK).

In Rogaland, a small storm has been reported. Several ferry departures were delayed or cancelled as a result of the storm.

A significant risk of avalanches is also expected in large parts of the country.

“In summary, things will calm down a bit in southern Norway. There will be showers and wind further north. There will also be bad weather in Møre og Romsdal and Trøndelag,” on-duty meteorologist Dina Stabell told NRK.

Freezing rain

The Eastern Police District warned motorists to watch out for freezing rain and slippery roads.

“We ask all road users to drive carefully. There are reports of very slippery roads in places with freezing rain, especially in the Follo area,” the police noted on Twitter.

On Friday evening, two buses and seven cars were involved in a collision on national highway 7 near Bromma in Nesbyen in Hallingdal.

No one was seriously injured in the incident, which happened at 8 pm. The road was opened on Saturday morning.

Closed mountain passes

On Saturday morning, the following mountain passes are closed, according to Vegtrafikksentralen:

* Rv13 Vikafjellet.
* E134 Haukelifjell.
* Rv7 Hardangervidda.
* Fv50 Aurland-Hol.
* Fv13 Gaularfjellet.
* E6 Saltfjellet
* E69 Skipsfjordhøyda-Skarsvåg i Nordkapp
* E69 Skarsvåg-Nordkapp
* Fv8046 Skarsvåg i Nordkapp
* Fv98 Ifjordfjellet
* Fv888 Bekkarfjord-Hopseidet
* Fv51 Valdresflya-Fagernes, stengt Garli-Bygdin
* Fv53 Tyin-Årdal
* Fv27 Venabygdsfjellet
* Fv51 Garli i Øystre Slinde, Innlandet
* Rv52 Hemsedal: Styrt trafikkavvikling

You can find a complete overview of the status of all the mountain crossings here.

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WEATHER

Weather alert for torrential rain and thunderstorms issued in Norway

Another weather warning for parts of Norway was issued for Tuesday after Oslo received half a month's rainfall in 20 minutes on Monday.

Weather alert for torrential rain and thunderstorms issued in Norway

More heavy rain is expected in eastern parts of Norway on Tuesday evening. Around 12 millimetres are expected, and a yellow weather warning has been issued.

On Monday, parts of eastern Norway received 42.7 millimetres of rain, the monthly average for May being 60 millimetres.

The heavy rain flooded streets and some basements in parts of the capital.

The public has asked to avoid swimming in Oslo’s harbour areas after the rain due to the presence of intestinal bacteria.

A yellow warning has also been issued for lighting in eastern Norway. The public has been asked to unplug appliances and avoid open plains and large trees. Swimming has also been discouraged.

Around 30,000 and 40,000 lightning strikes were registered in Norway over the past 24 hours.

During a yellow weather warning, the public is asked to “be aware” of “challenging situations”.

READ MORE: What Norway’s weather alerts actually mean

Below you can see a forecast posted on X (formerly Twitter) by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute

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