Norway devastated by its worst storm in 30 years

Photo: Per-Inge Johnsen/NTB/Agence France-Presse Boats in the port of Bodoe, Norway, as strong winds blow, February 1, 2024.

Associated Press in Copenhagen

1:25 p.m.

• Europe

Norway's most powerful storm in more than 30 years raged on Thursday, ripping off roofs and knocking out power.

Hurricane-force winds whipped parts of the Scandinavian country with gusts reaching 110 miles per hour. Near Laerdal, a small, picturesque town northeast of Bergen, Norway's second-largest city, a bus carrying 14 passengers was thrown off a road early Thursday, but no injuries were reported, according to the police.

Some areas were flooded and airlines and ferry operators suspended services. Schools, roads, tunnels and bridges were closed on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Norwegian Meteorological Institute announced that a new national wind speed record of 195.8 km/h was measured early Thursday on the island of Soemma.

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Hurricane-force gusts were also reported overnight in Sweden. The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute has issued a red alert, its highest alert level, for the western part of the Norrbottens district, which borders Norway.

The storm, named Ingunnby Norwegian meteorologists, hit central Norway on Wednesday afternoon before moving north on Thursday. The Meteorological Institute had issued a red alert, its highest alert level, for the Arctic region.

Several windows of a hotel in Bodoe, a large town in the Nordland district, were blown out, according to police. Downtown Bodoe was then cordoned off due to “danger to life and health,” according to police. Northern Norway University Hospital said parts had come loose from its roof antenna in Harstad, and Norwegian media showed photos of a helicopter landing pad littered with debris.< /p>

Bjørnar Gaasvik, spokesman for the Troendelag region police, told Norwegian news agency NTB that the public security agency had received between 40 and 50 reports from people affected by the storm overnight and others were expected on Thursday.

Sigmund Clementz of the IF insurance company told the Norwegian newspaper VG that it was too early to estimate the cost of the damage caused by the storm.

In southern Denmark, the Storebaelt Bridge, which connects two large Danish islands, was closed to vehicles with light trailers due to strong winds.

The storm hit the same area as the 1992 New Year's hurricane, one of the strongest storms in Norwegian history, writes the newspaper VG .