Snowstorm hits Estonia causing dangerous roads, power cuts
Heavy snowfall is causing difficulties on roads across Estonia and is especially bad in Saaremaa and Pärnu County. The Transport Administration is urging drivers to be cautious and flights have been canceled at Tallinn Airport.
Weather updates can be followed on the Environment Agency's website here. A level two "dangerous" warning is currently in place across in all counties except Põlva, Valga and Võru.
Information about road conditions can be viewed on the Tark Tee website.
Elektrilivi's power outage map can be seen here.
The conditions may delay emergence service response times. The emergency number 112 should only be called if urgent help is needed and someone's life may be in danger, the Health Board said.
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Due to heavy snowfall, drifting, and icy conditions, traffic on state roads in Saaremaa and Pärnu County is disrupted, and secondary roads may be impassable. A special maintenance regime is in force from Friday afternoon until Sunday evening.
The school day was cut short at noon in Saaremaa due to the heavy snowfall.
In addition, roads are hazardous in Hiiu, Lääne, Viljandi, Rapla, Lääne, and Jõgeva and Harju counties.
The snowfall is moving northward, and the heaviest snowfall in Harju County is expected between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. today, though intermittent snow is forecast to continue until Sunday.
Visibility is extremely poor due to the heavy snow and drifting.
The Transport Administration urges residents in these areas to avoid driving unless absolutely necessary.
Heavy vehicle drivers are advised to wait for better weather conditions in parking areas, if possible. All road maintenance equipment in these areas is operational.
Electricity operator Elektrilevi issued a warning that severe weather conditions could cause widespread power outages. The company's crisis commission met on Friday morning and is prepared to handle the storm with reinforced teams.
Elektrilevi CEO Mihkel Härm: "We remind everyone to follow all warnings and stay home to remain safe and healthy during the hazardous weather. We also encourage people to stock up on drinking water and food and to charge their devices."
A strong snow and sleet storm will spread across Estonia on Friday, with an additional 15 to 25 centimeters of snow expected. The storm will be accompanied by gale-force winds with gusts of up to 24 meters per second. These dangerous weather conditions may cause trees and branches to fall, leading to extensive power outages across the country.
Several flights have been canceled at Tallinn Airport.
Tallinn Airport's communications specialist Eneli Rohtla told ERR that challenging weather conditions are affecting airport operations and air traffic.
As of 1:55 p.m., the runway was open, but heavy snowfall, gusty winds, and limited visibility are still impacting air traffic, making landings and takeoffs in Tallinn complicated.
"We are working on the runway with eight snow-clearing machines instead of the usual six to ensure that flights can land safely. The weather is constantly changing, and so are runway conditions," she said.
Rohtla stressed that the decision to land is always made by the flight crew, with passenger safety being the top priority.
"Additionally, they take into account the crew's flight hours, the type and age of the aircraft, and its technical capabilities. If a plane cannot land at its destination, the captain may choose to return to the departure airport or head to the nearest alternate airport," she said.
According to the latest information, all of Lufthansa and LOT's Friday flights have been canceled.
"The Lufthansa flight DLH880, which was supposed to arrive in Tallinn at 1 p.m., diverted to Riga, and all of today's Tallinn-Frankfurt flights (DLH880, DLH881, DLH882, and DLH883) have been canceled due to heavy snowfall. Similarly, the LOT flight LOT785 from Warsaw to Tallinn was diverted to Riga, which led to the cancellation of the return flight LOT786, scheduled to depart for Warsaw at 2:05 p.m.," Rohtla said.
You can view more information on Tallinn Airport's website here.
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Editor: Helen Wright