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WEATHER

Traffic chaos and cancelled trains as blizzard batters central Sweden

A storm left cancelled trains and traffic chaos in its wake as it battered Sweden on Monday, with up to 30 centimetres of snow expected to fall in parts of the country.

Published: 21 February 2022 10:31 CET
Traffic chaos and cancelled trains as blizzard batters central Sweden
A bus got stuck on Folkungagatan in Stockholm on Monday morning. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT

Swedish weather agency SMHI issued an orange alert for central Sweden – covering the area around Stockholm, Uppsala, Gävle and Örebro – warning of snow and strong winds.

It said 15-25 centimetres of snow could fall, or 30 centimetres in some areas.

A snow plough on the E18 road east of Enköping. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT

An orange warning is the second-most serious on a three-step scale, and means that there is a large risk that roads, as well as buses, train and flights, will be affected.

At least six traffic accidents were reported in the Stockholm region between 6 and 7am, according to the TT newswire, and several trains and buses were delayed or cancelled. In Örebro, all public transport was cancelled in the city, reported public radio broadcaster P4 Örebro.

Several other parts of Sweden also reported weather issues on Monday.

In the Östergötland region, a car held up traffic on the motorway after it went off the road near Melby, reported regional newspaper Corren.

In southern region Skåne, strong winds caused transport operators to cancel several trains, and tall vehicles were advised to avoid the Öresund Bridge to Denmark.

Buses lined up at Gärdet in Stockholm. Photo: Lars Schröder/TT

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WEATHER

One dead as storm batters Denmark and Sweden

At least one person died, streets were flooded and thousands were left without electricity as Storm Malik moved over Scandinavia this weekend, authorities and utilities said.

Published: 30 January 2022 17:52 CET
Cars wade through the water on the road by the lighthouse in Sweden's Malmö Harbour
Cars wade through the water on the road by the lighthouse in Sweden's Malmö Harbour on Sunday as storm Malik continues to ravage Skåne. (Photo: Johan Nilsson / TT)

In central Denmark, a 78-year-old woman died after opening a stable door from the inside which was then caught in the strong winds.

“The woman was dragged out by the wind… as a result, she fell and sustained injuries which led to her death,” Danish police said in a statement.

And in Sweden, two teenage boys were injured in Östra Göinge in Skåne when a tree fell onto the A-tractor they were travelling in, Swedish news agency TT reported.

They were taken by ambulance to hospital. 

Swedish weather service SMHI still has an orange warning in place for storm surges in southern and western Sweden and also an orange warning for high water levels.

And Denmark’s DMI wrote on Twitter that the storm was now “well east” of Denmark, noting that the wind was gradually decreasing but maintained its warning for high water levels for large parts of the country’s inland waters.

No power for thousands
In southern and central Sweden, tens of thousands were left without electricity as the storm passed, according to utilities Eon, Ellevio and Vattenfall.

As of 2pm, just over 20,000 customers were still without power, they said.

“Right now, the weather forecasts indicate that the first repairs can be started at noon at the earliest. Given the extent of the damage, I would like to warn that some customers may remain without power during the evening and night,” Eon regional manager Peter Hjalmar said, TT reported.

Ellevio said it expected most customers would get their power back in the early afternoon.

Travel chaos
The 7.8-kilometre (4.8-mile) Øresund Bridge connecting Denmark and Sweden had to be closed for traffic Saturday evening and stayed shut until Sunday morning.

READ ALSO: Swedish-Danish Øresund bridge reopens as storm winds abate

Several train services along Sweden’s west coast and in Skåne have been cancelled. The strong winds also caused the Älvsborg Bridge in Gothenburg to be closed to traffic.

Meteorological services in both Sweden and Denmark reported hurricane-force winds during the night.

Sweden’s Transport Administration also advised against unnecessary travel during the weekend because of downed trees and objects blowing in the wind, and rescue services around Sweden and Denmark reported hundreds of emergency calls.

There were also air traffic delays at Arlanda on Sunday morning with several flights put on hold, TT said.

Ellen Laurin, a press officer at Swedish airport owner Swedavia said that some delays were to be expected and advised travellers to check travel arrangements with their airline or tour operator.

In central Malmö, strong winds brought down a construction crane, which crushed a number of construction sheds as it fell. (Photo: Johan Nilsson / TT )

In Malmø in southern Sweden, rescue services warned people Sunday to stay clear of the city’s recognisable skyscraper Turning Torso as pieces of the building had come loose due to the strong winds and risked falling to the ground.

Video from the scene also showed trees uprooted and a construction crane tipped over, destroying some small shacks as the counterweight slammed through the road. No-one was injured.

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