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New winter storm batters southern Sweden

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New winter storm batters southern Sweden

Heavy snow and blustery winds prompted new weather warnings for southern Sweden on Tuesday morning as a winter storm brought some rail traffic to a halt and left roads treacherous.

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Snow continued to pour down over Kalmar County and the Baltic island of Öland on Tuesday, and accompanying winds resulted in meteorology agency SMHI issuing a class 2 warning, meaning weather conditions could put the public in danger, cause material damage, or disrupt vital public services.

According to SMHI, the storm could dump as much as 40 centimetres of snow in some areas.

"During the morning, the snow has been most intense in the coastal areas of Kalmar County and out over Öland," SMHI meteorologist Lovissa Andersson told the TT news agency, adding that the class 2 warning would likely remain in effect in Kalmar County throughout the day on Tuesday.

The fresh blizzard, coming on the heels of weekend winter storm, prompted a halt in rail traffic between Oskarshamn and Berga, with the Hultsfred-Kalmar line continuing to run, but with reduced frequency.

Police in Kalmar reported a number of vehicles sliding off roads, but no serious accidents, according to TT.

Shortly before 5am, two long-haul trucks collided on the E4 motorway north of Nyköping in eastern Sweden.

"Things are at a complete standstill on E4's northbound lanes," police spokeswoman Jenny Ejdvinsson told the TT news agency.

While Sweden's far southeast is set to receive the heaviest snowfall, SMHI has also issued class 1 warnings - meaning weather conditions that can involve some risks and disruptions – for Stockolm, Södermanland, Östergötland, and Blekinge counties.

Indeed, slippery roads near Örebro in central Sweden left a truck carrying a shipment of lutfisk, a traditional Christmas food consisting of dried whitefish cured in lye, stuck in the ditch.

The driver had a hard time getting out of the vehicle, but suffered no serious injuries.

However, the road was closed for much of Tuesday morning as crews worked to tow the vehicle and its cargo out of the ditch.

TT/The Local/dl

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