The rescue service in Haparanda is preparing for flooding when Torneälven’s extreme spring flood is expected to peak later on Sunday. SMHI has issued red warnings for high flows and floods in the lower Torneälven for the next 24 hours.
The spring flood in Tornedalen is described as the worst in decades and is due to snowmelt combined with heavy rain earlier in the week.
– There is an extremely high amount of water in the lower Torneälven, states Fredrik Wuopio, rescue manager in Haparanda, who was out on Sunday morning checking measuring stations to see how much the level had risen during the night.
Preparedness
The emergency services in Haparanda are prepared to contain socially important buildings that are at risk of being flooded, and make assessments of the flow on an ongoing basis.
SMHI has issued red warnings for the lower Torneälven for the next 24 hours.
– We believe that the climax will come in Haparanda and Karungi late on Sunday or the night of Monday, says SMHI’s on-duty hydrologist Fredrik Schück at 10 o’clock on Sunday.
Sunday evening
Around Pajala, the spring flood is estimated to have peaked on Saturday afternoon, and orange warnings have been issued for the river stretches north and northwest of Pajala.
– It takes an average of one and a half days for the culmination to travel downward and reach Haparanda, and that is why we estimate that the culmination will reach Haparanda Sunday evening, says Fredrik Schück.
He notes that the weather forecast for Haparanda and the surrounding area looks stable – no precipitation is expected for the next few days.
How quickly the water level in and around Haparanda can start to drop after the peak is difficult to say, but it is not a matter of several days.
– We can probably count on it starting to drop from Monday, says Fredrik Schück.