Massive rainfalls flooded several key traffic hubs in Denmark over the weekend, causing significant traffic delays, reports DR.
Some roads, including the O3 ring road at Odense, will remain impassable for the rest of the year due to the flooding.
Triangle region most affected
Over the past two days, some places in the country received as much rain as they usually get throughout the entire December.
“The stretch from the border in southern Jutland up to the Triangle region [around Kolding, Vejle and Fredericia] was hit the hardest,” stated Bjarne Nigaard, the executive secretary at the Danish emergency response.
“Well over 600 men were deployed to assist in nearly 200 locations and we estimate nearly 300 million litres of water have been pumped away since Saturday night.”
Small roads impassable
The motorway junction in Taulov between Kolding and Fredericia was completely impassable on Sunday but has been open to traffic since.
Many minor roads, especially those that run alongside rivers, lakes and viaducts, may remain closed until Thursday, warns Nigaard.
Danish meteorologists forecast the rest of the year should be dry, thus allowing the water to subside.
Weather on New Year’s
Meanwhile, a cold air from Siberia is coming to Denmark with temperatures dropping down near the freezing mark in the next three days.
Strong winds will make the temperature feel even cooler, though.
The New Year’s Eve and the night to January 1 are forecasted to be dry and partly clear in most of Denmark, with temperatures ranging from 2 degrees to 2 degrees below zero.
