Lightning starts forest fires
Lightning starts forest fires
6 July 2009
published by www.norwaypost.no
Norway — Several teams of firefighters in the county of Telemark had by Sunday morning gained control over a number of forest fires which were probably started by freak lightning storms over the region on Saturday.
By Saturday afternoon there were reports of altogether 15 forest fires in the county, most of them minor ones.
The Met Office has issued forest fire warnings for most of Southern Norway the past two weeks, and several municipalities have banned the use of open fires.
Although rain showers were forecast for the South East from Sunday on, a substantial rainfall is needed before the forest fire warnings will be cancelled, the authorities say.
Temperatures which in the South East have been above 30 Centigrades most of last week, are expected to return to a “normal” of around 20C in the coming days.
