The weather was so bad off the Norwegian coast on Saturday that one of the world’s largest fishing contests, Skreifiske, had to be cancelled. It was simply too dangerous for the fishing boats to head out to sea.
High waves and strong wind made for a bad combination. Organizers had little choice but to cancel what’s also known as the world championships in fishing for skrei, the cod that annually swims into the waters off the mountainous Lofoten archipelago.
The annual competition draws thousands to the area around Svolvær in Lofoten where it’s based. Organizers said they were worried about the safety of participants because of all the wind, rough seas and heavy rain.
A low-pressure system that moved over the West Coast late last week also raised sea levels and generated waves as high as 30 feet, with lightning also observed along the coast. The storm also is blamed for two major shipping emergencies farther south off the coast of Romsdal, between Molde and Kristiansand. In addition to the near-grounding of a cruiseship with nearly 1,400 people on board, a cargo ship carrying timber also had to be evacuated in the treacherous bay of Hustadvika. The storm also closed mountain passes in Southern Norway, which remained closed on Sunday morning.
newainenglish.no staff
