Storm Dave forces road closures as authorities urge drivers to delay travel

Norwegian road authorities have closed multiple mountain routes and warned of extreme delays as Storm Dave brings severe weather to southern Norway on Easter Sunday, Dagbladet reports.

Several key roads, including the Hemsedalsfjellet mountain pass, were shut by Sunday evening due to high winds and blizzard conditions. Earlier in the day, traffic operators reported queues of up to eight hours, with column driving in effect on remaining open routes.

“The weather has simply taken over,” Gunnar Dovland, a traffic operator at the Eastern Norway Traffic Control Centre, told the newspaper. “Most routes are now closed, and forecasts suggest they won’t reopen tonight.”

Drivers are strongly advised to postpone non-essential travel. “Check traffic and weather updates, and only set out when conditions make it reasonable to do so,” Dovland said. For those already on the road, authorities recommend carrying emergency supplies—including warm clothing, food, shovels, and tow ropes—and stress that drivers must stay in formation if travelling in convoys.

Coastal areas are also affected, with footage showing the Kunstsilo art museum in Kristiansand battered by high winds and waves.