“Ingon is one of the strongest storms to hit Norway in 30 years.” Copernicus wrote the European Uniona wing of the European space programme, followed suit on Thursday.
Local media reported that tens of thousands of people were cut off from electricity in Norway. Train, air and land travel was also disrupted across the region. The longest delays and most flight cancellations were in recent days at airports across Europe, including Oslo and Helsinki.
Central pressure dropped to an incredible level 944 millibarsThis is equal to the central pressure of a strong hurricane in the tropics.
Injun was named when red alerts were raised across much of the coast of Norway as it approached Scandinavia.
“From Wednesday afternoon to Thursday morning, a hurricane is expected on the coast,” the National Center of Meteorology warned.
Wild winds and strong waves
Even for a region accustomed to severe storms, Injun is something else.
Norway set a record for average wind speed during the pre-dawn hours on Thursday. according to NMI. A maximum of 122 mph (54.4 meters per second) was observed at Sømna-Kvaløyfjellet, on a hill along the northern coast. Wind speeds reach 140 mph It has been reported there.
Further inland in the mountains, at about 3,500 feet in Stekenjokk, Sweden also temporarily set an all-time wind speed record with a 10-minute average of 115 mph (51.8 meters per second). according to Mika Rantanen of the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
In the Faroe Islands, A Gust 155 mph According to the private meteorological station in Hultanin Central Other gusts reached 120 mph Or so. Scotland saw a peak gust of 106mph at Aonach Moor in the Highlands.
– Wind speed from 80 to 110 miles per hour It was widespread in NorwayThe strongest are near the coast and in the north. Most of Sweden and Finland also observed wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph or more.
Typically, the strongest winds are not observed directly by weather stations, but some additional storm surges from government websites include:
- 114 mph in Heidron oil field, Norwegian Sea
- 108 mph Vagar AirportFaroe Islands
- 93 mph in Fornebo, Norway (southwest of Oslo)
- 91 mph in Leknes, Norway
- 87 mph in Tonsberg, Norway
- 83 mph in Rust, Norway
- 80 mph in Sikkelven, Norway
- 78 mph in Sumburgh, Scotland
Coastal and harbor areas were hit by damaging winds that produced dangerous seas amid deafening roars.
Waves near shore in the Norwegian Sea reached between 65 and 85 feet. according to Kairu Kitsak, meteorologist from Estonia. Waves of up to 30 feet are expected along the beaches through Thursday.
Other impacts from Ingon continued on Thursday across parts of the region, including northern Finland, where A A red alert was in effect For snow and strong winds.
The 'jet' likely enhanced a swath of intense winds from near the Faroe Islands to the coast of Norway.
Stings form in the strongest mid-latitude hurricanes. Although it does not occur in all storms, it is a relatively common aspect of low pressure areas that hit Europe. It has been part of some of the continent's most memorable events, such as the Great Storm of 1987.
As the storm rapidly intensifies, cold air from the jet stream — which originates from miles above the surface — can be drawn into the foreground structures surrounding the low center. As the jet stream's winds are pulled to the surface, wind speeds increase further.
Maximum winds will occur near the tip of the swirling “comma head” that develops with mature storm systems. Stingers tend to occur when a storm reaches its peak and usually only last a few hours.
Studies have shown that stinging jets may become more common in warm climates.
Injun comes in the wake of the recent wave of storms that struck western and northern Europe. This was the fourth such storm to have been identified during January, including three identified by the UK Met Office.
The Met Office has named 10 storms this season, the most so far since the conference became official in 2015-16, and is close to the all-winter record of 11 storms that season.
While much of central and southern Europe has been dealing with unusual warmth to start the year given the persistent storm track to the north, signs point to a continent-wide risk of colder and stormier conditions intensifying in February.
