Deadly Swedish Forest Fire Forces Hundreds to Evacuate

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC HAZARDS
RISING TEMPERATURES
DROUGHT
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES
MULTIPLE STATES OF EMERGENCY
MAIN SCENARIOS 900, 797, 777, 555, 444, 311, 111, 101, 100, 070, 04, 02
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Massive forest fire sweeping central Sweden, spreading north

A deadly forest-fire, said to be largest forest fires in Sweden in modern times, has consumed more than 15,000 hectares and continues to spread  uncontrollably.

The fire has forced at least 1,000 Swedes out of their homes, and put the entire 4,500 population of the town Norberg on standby for evacuation, said a report.

The fire has claimed at least one life so far. The body of a 30-year-old man, who had died from burns, was found on a road north of Stabäck, Västmanland on Tuesday, said the report.

The fire is now spreading north, and the authorities say it could burn for weeks, even months.

“The fire risks heading north to the lower reaches of Norberg,” Fredrik Eriksson of the emergency services told reporters.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this. Evacuation? That’s what happens in wartime,” said a Norberg resident.

“Forest fires are a risk we tend to associate primarily with southern Europe, but we are seeing that no country is immune,” said Sweden’s EU Commissioner, as she thanked Italy and France for providing support.

Record Lightning Strikes

Some 47,901 lightning strikes were recorded in Sweden Sunday night beating a previous record of 45,000 strikes set earlier this year, said the report.

Record Heat

The mercury rose to at 34°C in the town of Härsnäs in Östergötland on Sunday, setting a new record for August. The town of Visby in Gotland set a new temperature record for the warmest August day at 32.9°C.

Related Links

• Sweden Sizzles amid Record Heat
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New Zealand “lit up like a Christmas tree”

5000 Lightning strikes in 2 hours, as powerful winds batter NZ capital, “worse is yet to come”

Hurricane-strength winds have downed trees, closed roads and cut power to thousands of New Zealand homes, forcing dozens of flight cancellation in the capital Wellington on Monday.

A local forecaster has warned “worse is yet to come” with ”the meat of the core of the strong winds” to hit Wellington between 2-8pm today.

Parts of the country were also being “lit up like a Christmas tree” by lightning strikes, said the forecaster, with 5000 strikes recorded between 10am and noon Monday.

“Most of those were west of the South Island’s main divide, although some were spilling over to the east,” said a report.