Mass Evacuation Efforts in Norway Following Heavy Rain and Flooding

On Thursday, Norway experienced additional flooding and forced evacuations as rivers overflowed past their banks to the greatest levels in decades following torrential rain brought on by, according to meteorologists, unique weather patterns.

Officials said that more than 4,000 people had been taken out of their homes in southern Norway, up from about 3,000 on Wednesday. About half of them are in the town of Hoenefoss, which is located about 40 kilometres (25 miles) north-west of Oslo.

Landslides, heavy rain, and strong winds caused damage to electricity lines and halted public transportation earlier this week across the Nordic region.

Wednesday saw the collapse of a hydroelectric river dam due to water pushing its way through, while earlier this week a train derailed in neighbouring Sweden as a result of floodwaters washing away a railway embankment.

Wide areas of southern Norway’s main roadways were shut down and rail service was suspended on Thursday, and even though the rain had ceased, authorities issued a flood warning because the water was moving towards low-lying coastal areas.

Read Next: Hundreds are Evacuated as Portugal Struggles to Contain Wildfires

Norway’s Changing Weather

The recent weather arrived from the east when two low pressure systems combined and developed as they travelled towards the Nordic region, according to the NMI, unlike the majority of precipitation that has reached Norway, which originates from the west.

The institution claims that data demonstrates that precipitation in Norway has grown by about 18% over the previous 100 years, with the largest increase occuring in the previous 30 to 40 years.

Extreme weather events, like the heavy rain we experienced this week, will become more frequent as the climate warms, according to Jana Sillmann, research director of the Oslo-based Centre for International Climate Research.

 El Nino, a cyclical climatic phenomena, is causing heatwaves and floods in several countries this year, but Sillmann said it was difficult to say whether this was also the cause of the most recent occurrences impacting the Nordic region.

Read Next: South Korea Swiftly Initiates Typhoon Evacuation Efforts to Save World Scout Jamboree

Source: Reuters