Many water bodies in Norway now have historically high levels of water.
The heaviest rains have stopped in Norway, but the levels of rivers and lakes are still rising rapidly. Many rivers are already at their highest level in 50 years.
More than 3,000 people have had to leave their homes after water flooded inside the buildings. In the worst places, the houses built near the rapids have been completely destroyed.
Perhaps the most difficult situation is west of Oslo in Drammen and in the interior of the country. The water level of the Drammenjoki, which flows through the small town of Mjöndalen, is usually a meter. During spring floods, it usually rises to a maximum of 2.5 meters.
Now the water is already at 2.9 meters, and according to the forecast, the rise may continue for more than half a meter.
The authorities have raised the danger alert to red, i.e. the highest level, he says Norwegian public radio NRK. It means that it is an extreme situation.
– Everyone who is at risk of flooding must now protect their property. The water can rise to 3.5 meters on the Mjøndalen bridge, says the emergency manager Sten Petter Aamodt.
The highway E134 west of Drammen to the Atlantic coast is partially closed. The police fear that it will have to be closed even more widely.
– We will keep it open as long as possible. Now the difference is still half a meter. The water rises three centimeters per hour. So it will take a few hours before it closes, says the Viken municipality representative Øistein Eriksen for NRK.
Train traffic is also partially interrupted in Norway. The railway bridge between Oslo and Trondheim was destroyed in the flood.
The rain has now stopped and the air is warm, which gradually eases the situation. Weak water rain is promised for the weekend.
Source: Reuters