Storm Johannes Causes Fatalities and Disruptions Across Nordic Countries
Storm Johannes impacted large parts of northern Sweden, Norway, and Finland, causing fatalities, widespread power outages, and transport disruptions.
In Sweden, two people died due to the storm: a man in his 50s was struck by a tree at the Kungsberget ski resort, and a Hemab employee died in the field. The Swedish weather service issued strong wind alerts across much of northern Sweden.
More than 40,000 homes in Sweden lost power, and numerous rail services were canceled. In Norway's Nordland region, around 23,000 homes were affected by power outages, with an additional 9,000 in the Inland region.
Finland also faced significant impacts, with over 33,000 homes without power. Kittila airport suspended flights after winds pushed aircraft off runways, including a Swiss Air jet carrying about 150 passengers and a smaller 400XT model, which were pushed off course without injuries.
Transport services were widely affected across the Nordic countries: flights, rail, and ferry services were canceled. The Swedish Transport Administration suspended many train services until noon on Sunday. The Nordland fire department reported more than 200 weather-related incidents as roads and rail disruptions took place.
The storm in Finland subsided on Sunday morning.
