Hurricane Dagmar stops trains

Train traffic is in a state of disorder, because of hurricane Dagmar, which is sweeping in over Sweden from Norway. The wind speeds are expected to be highest in the mountainous region in Mid Sweden toward the Norwegian border. 

  • Swedes are anticipating the full effects of hurricane Dagmar. The hurricane above is Floyd, the fourth hurricane in the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season.
  • Certain train routes closed even before the storm began. “We’re worried that trains will be stranded because of falling contact wires and such,” Peter Behrman, Information Officer of Press at Trafikverket (the Swedish Transport Administration) said.
    In Norway, meteorologists believe Dagmar carries with her a wind speed of up to 45 meters (almost 148 feet) per second. And SMHI (Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute) warns: “We are putting out class 2 warnings and the heaviest winds are expected in the southern Norrlandsfjällen ("Södra Norrlands fjälltrakter" include some of the most popular ski areas in Sweden such as åre and Duved).
    Here there is a risk of a wind speed of 25 to 30 meter per second (82-98 feet). That’s close to hurricane speed, as the limit is 32 meter per second (104 feet),” says Alexandra Ohlsson, meteorologist at SMHI. People in Jämtlandsfjällen are asked to remain inside. Apart from the heavy winds, snowfall is expected.