What you need to know about forest fires in Norway
Summer is accompanied by a risk of forest and grass fires in Norway, especially in recent years as the country has experienced increasingly dry weather.
As most of Norway prepares for the summer holiday season, people living in the country are faced with a somewhat familiar state of affairs for late June: a heat spell, weather danger warnings, and bans on the use of fire.
EXPLAINED: Everything you need to know about Norway’s fire bans
And while things might get better for Norway as early as Tuesday when meteorologists expect considerable rainfall, mid-term forecasts for July show that most of Europe should brace for an unusually hot summer.
According to the six-week forecast published by ECMWF, an international weather organisation, Norway is unlikely to avoid these high temperatures.
The southern part of the Nordic region will be particularly exposed to heat in July, meaning that weather danger warnings will likely stick around for weeks.
An unusually dry and hot summer in the cards
Norway is already facing a heightened risk of forest fires. As summer settles in, the country is likely to experience a weather pattern characterised by high pressure, resulting in hot and dry conditions.
According to climate researcher Reidun Gangstø from the Meteorological Institute (MET), even though southern Norway has received some rainfall in recent days, the danger of forest fires is expected to persist for a while.
Of particular concern is eastern Norway, which has been grappling with drought conditions. Vast regions of the country are now coloured red, denoting the second-highest level of drought severity.
Talking to Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK), Gangstø highlighted the minimal rainfall experienced in May as a contributing factor to the heightened risk. The impact of the recent heatwave has exacerbated the situation, leading to the expansion of drought conditions into other parts of the country.
Drawing comparisons to the summer of 2018, widely considered the most extreme forest fire season in Norway's history, Gangstø described the current conditions as reminiscent of the extreme dryness witnessed during that period.
The combination of high evaporation rates and a spring season marked by insufficient rainfall resulted in the drying out of soil and streams, contributing to low levels of groundwater and water flow.
Adding to these concerns, recent weather data indicates a heatwave across numerous weather stations in Norway, a phenomenon somewhat unusual for this early in the year.
Norway's weather warning system
On Tuesday, an orange-level danger warning for forest fires was still in force for parts of eastern (Oslo, Fredrikstad), western, (Bergen), southern (Kristiansand), and southwestern (Stavanger) Norway.
"It's very dry in the Oslo area, and that raises the already high risk of grass and forest fires," Sigurd Folgerø Dalen of Oslo's fire and emergency services told the media last week, which was characterised by multiple fires throughout Norway.
Since 2018, weather danger warnings in Norway have been issued and graded according to the international CAP (Common Alerting Protocol) standard.
This standard is used for alerting people about natural hazards, and there are three types/levels of danger warnings that the Norwegian Meteorological Institute issues: yellow (for challenging circumstances), orange (for serious circumstances), and red (for extreme circumstances).
The currently active orange danger warning for forest fires means that there is a real danger to health and property in the affected areas.
You can check whether any weather warnings are active in your area on the yr.no site, a weather site operated by the MET and NRK, and Varsom.no.
Risks associated with forest fires
Forest fires pose various risks and can significantly affect both people and nature.
The most immediate and severe risk is the potential loss of human lives, including firefighters and people who live in or near affected areas.
Forest fires can also result in the destruction of property, homes, and infrastructure, as well as damage to vegetation and natural environments.
Furthermore, forest fires release large amounts of smoke and harmful gases into the atmosphere. These pollutants can have detrimental effects on air quality, leading to respiratory issues and other health problems for humans and animals.
Avoiding hikes in affected areas might not be enough, as the smoke from forest fires can travel long distances, affecting even areas far away from the fire itself.
What to do when a danger warning is issued for your area
Depending on the danger warning level, you're expected to modify your behaviour if you live in an affected region.
Yellow danger warning: Yellow-level warnings can be issued for many different weather situations when the MET expects the consequences to be relatively small. Most people will be able to continue with their daily activities. Still, those who plan to travel in affected areas should be aware of the risk and reconsider their planned activities. Examples include local power outages, traffic delays, and strong winds that make travelling in the mountains dangerous. At other times, yellow warnings are issued when the MET expects more significant consequences for far more people but is unsure whether the weather will actually occur.
Orange danger warning: An orange warning is issued when the consequences are expected to be extensive for many people. In such situations, there is a real danger that lives and valuables may be lost, roads may be closed, and departures by boat, plane, and other means of transport may be cancelled. If an orange warning is in force for your area, be prepared for serious consequences and assess whether it is safe to carry out planned activities.
Red danger warning: Red danger warnings are issued when the MET expects extreme consequences due to the weather. That means a high risk that lives will be lost, as well as a high risk of destruction to property and infrastructure. Authorities and civilians in affected areas are called on to carry out measures that contribute to securing lives and limiting the extent of the damage. Most people are asked to minimise all travel in affected areas.
You can find more information on Norway's weather danger warnings on the webpage of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.
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As most of Norway prepares for the summer holiday season, people living in the country are faced with a somewhat familiar state of affairs for late June: a heat spell, weather danger warnings, and bans on the use of fire.
EXPLAINED: Everything you need to know about Norway’s fire bans
And while things might get better for Norway as early as Tuesday when meteorologists expect considerable rainfall, mid-term forecasts for July show that most of Europe should brace for an unusually hot summer.
According to the six-week forecast published by ECMWF, an international weather organisation, Norway is unlikely to avoid these high temperatures.
The southern part of the Nordic region will be particularly exposed to heat in July, meaning that weather danger warnings will likely stick around for weeks.
An unusually dry and hot summer in the cards
Norway is already facing a heightened risk of forest fires. As summer settles in, the country is likely to experience a weather pattern characterised by high pressure, resulting in hot and dry conditions.
According to climate researcher Reidun Gangstø from the Meteorological Institute (MET), even though southern Norway has received some rainfall in recent days, the danger of forest fires is expected to persist for a while.
Of particular concern is eastern Norway, which has been grappling with drought conditions. Vast regions of the country are now coloured red, denoting the second-highest level of drought severity.
Talking to Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK), Gangstø highlighted the minimal rainfall experienced in May as a contributing factor to the heightened risk. The impact of the recent heatwave has exacerbated the situation, leading to the expansion of drought conditions into other parts of the country.
Drawing comparisons to the summer of 2018, widely considered the most extreme forest fire season in Norway's history, Gangstø described the current conditions as reminiscent of the extreme dryness witnessed during that period.
The combination of high evaporation rates and a spring season marked by insufficient rainfall resulted in the drying out of soil and streams, contributing to low levels of groundwater and water flow.
Adding to these concerns, recent weather data indicates a heatwave across numerous weather stations in Norway, a phenomenon somewhat unusual for this early in the year.
Norway's weather warning system
On Tuesday, an orange-level danger warning for forest fires was still in force for parts of eastern (Oslo, Fredrikstad), western, (Bergen), southern (Kristiansand), and southwestern (Stavanger) Norway.
"It's very dry in the Oslo area, and that raises the already high risk of grass and forest fires," Sigurd Folgerø Dalen of Oslo's fire and emergency services told the media last week, which was characterised by multiple fires throughout Norway.
Since 2018, weather danger warnings in Norway have been issued and graded according to the international CAP (Common Alerting Protocol) standard.
This standard is used for alerting people about natural hazards, and there are three types/levels of danger warnings that the Norwegian Meteorological Institute issues: yellow (for challenging circumstances), orange (for serious circumstances), and red (for extreme circumstances).
The currently active orange danger warning for forest fires means that there is a real danger to health and property in the affected areas.
You can check whether any weather warnings are active in your area on the yr.no site, a weather site operated by the MET and NRK, and Varsom.no.
Risks associated with forest fires
Forest fires pose various risks and can significantly affect both people and nature.
The most immediate and severe risk is the potential loss of human lives, including firefighters and people who live in or near affected areas.
Forest fires can also result in the destruction of property, homes, and infrastructure, as well as damage to vegetation and natural environments.
Furthermore, forest fires release large amounts of smoke and harmful gases into the atmosphere. These pollutants can have detrimental effects on air quality, leading to respiratory issues and other health problems for humans and animals.
Avoiding hikes in affected areas might not be enough, as the smoke from forest fires can travel long distances, affecting even areas far away from the fire itself.
What to do when a danger warning is issued for your area
Depending on the danger warning level, you're expected to modify your behaviour if you live in an affected region.
Yellow danger warning: Yellow-level warnings can be issued for many different weather situations when the MET expects the consequences to be relatively small. Most people will be able to continue with their daily activities. Still, those who plan to travel in affected areas should be aware of the risk and reconsider their planned activities. Examples include local power outages, traffic delays, and strong winds that make travelling in the mountains dangerous. At other times, yellow warnings are issued when the MET expects more significant consequences for far more people but is unsure whether the weather will actually occur.
Orange danger warning: An orange warning is issued when the consequences are expected to be extensive for many people. In such situations, there is a real danger that lives and valuables may be lost, roads may be closed, and departures by boat, plane, and other means of transport may be cancelled. If an orange warning is in force for your area, be prepared for serious consequences and assess whether it is safe to carry out planned activities.
Red danger warning: Red danger warnings are issued when the MET expects extreme consequences due to the weather. That means a high risk that lives will be lost, as well as a high risk of destruction to property and infrastructure. Authorities and civilians in affected areas are called on to carry out measures that contribute to securing lives and limiting the extent of the damage. Most people are asked to minimise all travel in affected areas.
You can find more information on Norway's weather danger warnings on the webpage of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.
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