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WEATHER

Norway hit by early snowfall as up to 20 traffic accidents reported

The first snow of the year in parts of southern and eastern Norway on Monday night and early Tuesday resulted in up to 20 traffic accidents in the region, according to police.

Published: 20 October 2020 12:54 CEST
Norway hit by early snowfall as up to 20 traffic accidents reported
Illustration photo: Aditya Vyas on Unsplash

Police in Norway’s East District warned motorists not to drive without winter tyres due to the hazardous conditions.

In a tweet, police wrote that “several reports” had been received of accidents, particularly in the Romerike north east of Oslo.

As many as 20 accidents had been reported by 9:30 on Tuesday morning, police operation leader Atle Vesttorp told news wire NTB.

A number of these accidents involved cars sliding into central reservations, emergency lanes and lamp posts.

“In Romerike especially there is snow, and that’s where we’ve had the majority of accidents this morning,” Vesttorp said.

No serious injuries have been reported as a result of the road conditions.

But police encouraged drivers yet to change from summer to winter tyres to make the shift or, alternatively, leave their cars at home today.

It is mandatory for tyres with a tread depth of 3mm be used in Norway between November 1st and the Sunday after Easter Monday.

It is also the car owner's responsibility to make sure winter tyres are on the vehicle before winter conditions threaten a driver's safety.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about driving in Norway

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WEATHER

Partial lunar eclipse to be visible over parts of Norway

People in parts of Norway may be able to witness a partial lunar eclipse on Friday. 

Published: 18 November 2021 16:06 CET
Pictured is a lunar eclipse
Friday will see a partial lunar eclipse over Norway. Pictured is a lunar eclipse. Photo by Roger Starnes Sr on Unsplash

On Friday morning, the sun, the earth and the moon will align, causing a partial lunar eclipse. Friday’s celestial showcase will be an almost total lunar eclipse, with only a tiny part of the moon not ending up in the earth’s shadow. 

The eclipse will be most visible at 10:03am, when 98 percent of the moon will be in shadow. 

The moon will take on a reddish tinge as sunlight that passes through the earth’s atmosphere will be refracted back onto the moon. 

People in the north of Norway will have the best eclipse experience because the moon doesn’t go down until later in the morning at higher latitudes. The weather will also be better further north, according to forecasts. 

Residents of east and west Norway hoping for a show may have their views hindered by clouds. 

“If you are lucky, you’ll be able to see it from several parts of the country,” Randveig Eikhild from the Meteorological Institute told public broadcaster NRK. 

The best place to see the eclipse will be somewhere with a good clear view of the horizon, without mountains, hills or buildings in the way. 

For those in the south, where the view may not be the best due to the brighter mornings, there’s another celestial event on Friday that they will be able to witness. 

Once the sun goes down, gas giants Jupiter and Saturn will be visible in the night sky and very close together. Saturn won’t be visible from the north, however. 

“Jupiter and Saturn are quite close to each other and are beautiful in the fall. However, they are not always as close as they are now. It can be a very nice sight,” Pål Brekke, from the Norwegian Space Centre, explained to NRK. 

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