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Sweden's north ravaged by torrential downpour

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Sweden's north ravaged by torrential downpour

The northern end of Sweden has been swept by wet weather chaos and has been warned to expect more, with heavy flooding causing severe damage and extensive disruptions across the region.

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The rains have been hitting parts of Jämtland and Västernorrland in Sweden's mid north, seeing roads closed and storm drains flooded. Sweden's weather agency SMHI issued a Class 1 warning, meaning there is a risk of damages to societal functions such as telephone lines and electricity cables.

It issued a second Class 1 warning on Friday morning to alert to the high risk of more floods in the area. The affected areas can expect up to 50 millimetres of rain in a 24-hour period.

SEE ALSO: Read the weather forecast for your corner of Sweden

With roads shut down between Kramfors and Sollefteå due to the flooding, emergency teams were at work transporting people in the area to safety as a preventative measure.

"There are people in the area who are quite isolated. We have made efforts with elderly people who need home care. They have been taken to elderly homes in rescue vehicles," Peter Norell of the local emergency services told the TT news agency.

The rains have kept many areas in northern Sweden to a standstill this week, with some the town of Västmarkum hit by 130 millimetres of rain since Monday.

The wet weather is expected to move on around midday on Friday, but will likely hit areas further north, SMHI announced on its website.

TT/The Local/og

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