SHARE
COPY LINK

TRAVEL NEWS

Spring snowstorm batters southern Norway

Snow and strong winds caused travel chaos across southern Norway on Saturday, with Oslo airport forced to close its runways for a period.

Pictured is a plane covered in snow in Oslo.
Snow flurries caused travel issues on Saturday. Pictured is a plane covered in snow in Oslo. Credit: rechitansorin GettyImages

Flights to and from Oslo airport were halted on Saturday due to wind and snow.

Runways were closed at 10am, and arrivals to the airport were set to remain closed until around 4pm, airport operator Avinor said.

The winds in Oslo were the strongest experienced in the Norwegian capital for a year, according to meteorologists. Winds were measured at 75 kilometres per hour.

Strong winds felled several trees in the capital, causing damage to cars and buildings. Felled trees also brought two metro lines in the capital to a temporary stop.

Motorists were asked to allow plenty of time for journeys in southern Norway. Slippery driving conditions and buildups of slush were also reported.

Traffic operator at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Annie Serup, told Norwegian newspaper VG that there were a large number of minor accidents on Saturday.

Things were even more extreme in the lower Romerike region. There, motorists were asked to leave the roads. The region, to the north of Oslo, is home to more than 300,000 people, and several thousands residents were left without power for parts of Saturday.

The winds were forecasted to ease throughout Saturday.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

OSLO

Norwegian prosecutor wants maximum sentence for Oslo Pride shooter

Norway's public prosecutor on Tuesday asked that the maximum penalty of potentially life behind bars be handed down to the alleged perpetrator of the fatal shooting at Oslo's 2022 Pride festival.

Norwegian prosecutor wants maximum sentence for Oslo Pride shooter

Zaniar Matapour, a 44-year-old Norwegian of Iranian origin, has been on trial since mid-March and is accused of an “aggravated act of terror”.

Matapour is accused of opening fire outside two bars in central Oslo, including the gay club London Pub, on the night of June 25th, just hours before the Oslo Pride Parade was to be held.

Two men, aged 54 and 60, were killed and nine others were wounded.

“There is no reason as to why the maximum sentence cannot be used in a case like this,” prosecutor Aud Kinsarvik Gravas said.

The maximum sentence is 30 years but can be extended indefinitely.

“He has shown no remorse or reflection. We have seen no change in him” over the last two years, Kinsarvik Gravas said.

Matapour, who was restrained by passersby after the shooting, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and has never revealed his motives. He pleaded not guilty.

Psychiatric experts have been divided over his mental health, and thereby his legal responsibility, but the public prosecutor deemed him criminally responsible at the time of the events and that he deliberately targeted the gay community.

The sentence sought against him, which includes a minimum of 20 years, would in practice keep him in detention for as long as he is deemed a danger to society.

The alleged mastermind behind the attack, Arfan Bhatti, a 46-year-old Islamist well-known in Norway, was extradited on May 3rd from Pakistan, where he had taken up residence before the shooting.

He will be tried at a later date.

The final part of the trial, due to last until Thursday, will be devoted to the defence case.

A verdict is not expected for several weeks.

SHOW COMMENTS