Norway is at risk of becoming much more prone to flooding in the future as global warming makes the weather more unpredictable.

Extreme weather is becoming a more common event in the country, and while there is little you can do to change the weather, much can be done to ensure your safety and your valuables.

Norway’s weather warning system and forecasts

The Norwegian Meteorological Institute (MET) uses three colours for its weather warnings. The first is yellow, which means challenging weather.

Orange alerts are issued for serious weather situations, and the public is advised to “be prepared.”

When a red weather warning is issued, the public is advised to secure their valuables. During red weather, it is “very likely there will be widespread damage, travel and power disruption and even risk to life,” according to Norwegian forecasting site Yr.

READ MORE: What Norway’s weather alerts actually mean

The most popular service for checking the weather in Norway is YR, and the Meteorological Institute and Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) run the service.

You will receive warnings of adverse weather conditions there. On the website, you can check specifically to see whether there are any weather warnings across Norway.

On varsom, you can find information on floods, landslides and avalanches. 

Checking YR and varsom is particularly important when a flood warning is issued.

Check with the local authorities

One thing you will need to do is to check whether any advice has been issued by your local authority.

They will issue specific information for your area, such as whether any areas are at particular risk.

Another thing you can do is to make sure your information is up to date in the national population register. This makes it easy for local authorities to contact you if necessary. They may do this if you need to be evacuated or to warn you of specific issues where you live.

Check for disruption

Flooding can cause huge disruptions for travel in Norway. The main things to be aware of are train and bus cancellations, and closed roads.

If the flooding is accompanied by storms and winds, ferry connections may also be cancelled.

When it comes to trains, Vy, Go-Ahead Nordic, SJ, and Flytoget are the companies that operate in Norway. If you already have tickets booked, you should check for delays with them.

Norway’s network rail operatorBane Nor, also publishes information on disruptions to Norway’s train lines, which also includes information of affected lines.

For road disruption, you will need to check the Norwegian Public Roads Administration’s website. 

Securing your house and valuables  

Cleaning drainage and gutters close to your home can help with water flow, which can stop flood water accumulating and entering your home. It’s important to ensure that these areas are clear of twigs and branches.

Basements are common in Norway, and these are the areas most prone to flooding. You will need to remove valuables from the cellar and bring them up. This can stop many of your valuables from getting ruined.

You should also ensure windows and doors are closed to stop the flow of water into your home.

Furthermore, you will need to clear the garden of loose objects and move or secure larger objects such as a boat or caravan. Unplugging electronics in areas that could flood is also important.

Those attempting to drive in the weather will need to avoid trying to pass through water deeper than 30 centimeters.

Emergency supplies

Flooding can damage floods and the electricity grid. Things like tap water and mobile phone coverage can also be affected.

Such events are reasons why the Norwegian government suggest people have enough emergency supplies, such as water, blankets, and food. The (Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection) DSB has an overview of the supplies you need in an emergency on its website.