Traffic woes as blizzard hits Sweden

Heavy snowfall and harsh winds caused trouble in Sweden's Christmas getaway traffic, with meteorology agency SMHI issuing a severe weather warning on Sunday.

• Icy roads snarl Swedes' Christmas travels (22 Dec 12)
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A snowstorm hit the west coast of Sweden around lunchtime on Sunday before moving across to the south and to central parts of the country. Several accidents led to injuries and traffic jams.

The SMHI weather service issued a class 2 warning for Skåne, meaning weather conditions could put the public in danger, cause material damage, or disrupt vital public services.

Train services between Helsingborg och Ängelholm were cancelled and SMHI warned that harsh winds combined with heavy snow make for risky road conditions.

Two cars collided early Sunday morning on route 112 in Skåne. One person was stuck in the car, which had to be cut open.

Local police confirmed that one person was brought into hospital with serious, but not life-threatening, injuries.

In Gothenburg, three people were admitted to hospital after two buses collided.

In the north, a truck and a car with five passengers were involved in an accident on the E4 highway east of Kramfors.

Two adults are feared to have contracted neck- and back injuries. The three children involved in the accident were unharmed.

Police closed the road in both directions until noon.

A minibus turned over on the E45 highway north of Torsby, central Sweden and in Länna, south of Stockholm, an accident occurred when two cars collided just before lunchtime.

Six people, including two children, were involved in the Länna accident. Nobody was injured, according to the police.

"We are warning of slippery roads basically in all of the country," said Monica Näslund, spokeswoman at the Swedish Transport Administration.

"I don't think you should stay away from the roads in Skåne, but you should keep track of the traffic situation and if it is really bad you should consider whether you really need to go out," she added.

Näslund advised drivers to adjust their speed to the road conditions and to keep a shovel and warm clothes in the car.

On Sunday, temperatures will range from 2 to 6 degrees Celsius in the south to minus 35 in parts of the north.

The snowstorm is expected to clear by Christmas eve, but rain and slippery roads could continue to cause trouble on the roads.

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