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52,000 households without power, trains disrupted by storm on Thursday evening

The storm packed gusty winds of more than 25 metres per second.

Kuvassa on Liisa-myrskyn Luvialla 19. marraskuuta kaatama puu.
A fallen tree in Luvia, southwest Finland. Image: Jenni Joensuu / Yle
  • Yle News

An autumn storm dubbed Liisa cut off power in many areas of southern and central Finland on Thursday. It was still buffeting eastern Finland in the evening, particularly in Savo and Kainuu.

The storm packed gusty winds of more than 25 metres per second, toppling trees and damaging buildings. Some areas of southern Finland also experienced hail and lightning.

According to the Finnish Energy association there were about 52,000 households without electricity as of around 9 pm, down from 64,000 just an hour earlier.

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Rakennustelineet romahtaneet koulun seinustalla.
A construction scaffolding collapsed at Helsinki's Hiidenkivi School. Image: Lukijan kuva

Slippery roads expected on Friday

Driving conditions were poor through much of the country, from Ostrobothnia to Lapland. They were predicted to be poor on Friday morning throughout southern and central Finland.

The tempest played havoc with rail service, leading to delays and cancellations in many areas. Trains between Orivesi and Pieksämäki were replaced with busses, as were those between Haukivuori and Pieksämäki.

Traffic Management Finland predicted that repair work on the stretch of track between Jyväskylä and Pieksämäki would go well into the night.

There was also electrical damage to the tracks between Iisalmi and Siilijärvi, and preparations were underway to transport passengers by bus.