The weather warning system explained
The Norwegian Meteorological Institute (MET) uses three colours for its weather warnings. The first is yellow, which means challenging weather.
When a yellow weather warning is in place, you will need to “be aware of” the conditions, and it can create challenging scenarios. Overall, the consequences of yellow weather incidents are expected to be relatively small.
The Met says: "Be cautious, as the weather situation is challenging."
Those in the area are expected to be able to go about their business, but there may be local power outages, traffic delays, and wind which makes travelling in the mountains dangerous.
Yellow warnings are also issued in instances where MET “expects greater consequences for far more people, but are unsure whether the weather will actually occur.”
For this reason, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute says that people should monitor the situation when a yellow warning is in place.
Orange alerts are for when serious weather situations may occur, and the public is advised to “be prepared”.
The MET says: "Be prepared, as the weather situation is serious."
These weather warnings are issued when the institute expects extensive consequences, which could endanger lives and valuables may be lost. When an orange warning is in place, roads will be closed, planes will be grounded, and people will need to assess whether it is safe to carry out activities or not.
Like yellow warnings, an orange weather warning can be issued when even more extreme weather is expected, but it isn’t 100 percent certain it may arrive.
When extreme weather scenarios are expected, a red weather warning is issued. When a red weather warning is issued, the public is advised to secure their valuables. During red weather, it is “very likely there will be widespread damage, travel and power disruption and even risk to life,” according to Norwegian forecasting site Yr.
For a red warning the MET says: "Take immediate action to secure your assets, as the weather situation has become extreme when MET issues an extreme weather warning."
?️?? Norway is preparing for the biggest storm in 30 years. A violent atlantic windstorm #Ingunn (named by the @Meteorologisk) is approaching across the Faroe island.
— Windy.com (@Windycom) January 31, 2024
A red warning for extremely strong gusts of wind is out in areas of Trøndelag and Nordland. Below are the… pic.twitter.com/SRInSKEroP
Avalanches
The system for determining the risk of avalanches is slightly different. Norway follows the international standard for avalanches, meaning there are five danger levels, ranging from low avalanche danger to very high. These are colour coded from green to red.
Where to check forecasts
The most popular service for checking the weather in Norway is “Yr”. The service is run by the Meteorological Institute and NRK.
You can either head to the website or download the app on IOS or Android to use the service.
You will receive warnings of adverse weather conditions there. On the website, you can check specifically to see whether there are any weather warnings across Norway.
On varsom, you can find information on floods, landslides and avalanches.
If you have an activity planned with a guide, such as off-piste skiing or hiking, you should also speak to them about conditions. The same applies to local tourist offices due to their local knowledge and expertise.
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