Three killed in Sweden as Storm Johannes sweeps across Nordic countries
A powerful winter storm named Johannes swept across the Nordic countries over the weekend, killing three people in Sweden and leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity across Sweden, Norway, and Finland. Sweden’s Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) issued widespread alerts for strong winds as the system moved north. The storm, known as Hannes in Finland, also caused major travel disruptions, grounding flights and halting rail and ferry traffic.
Image credit: Daily Sun (stillshot)
A severe winter storm named Johannes moved across the Nordic region during the weekend, killing three people in Sweden and causing extensive damage, transport disruption, and power outages on December 27 and 28.
The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) issued orange-level warnings for strong winds across large parts of northern Sweden as the system intensified.
In Gävleborg County, central Sweden, a man in his 50s was killed after being struck by a falling tree at the Kungsberget ski resort, according to police and local media. Another fatality occurred in northern Sweden, where an employee of the regional utility company Hemab died in an accident while working outdoors during the storm. In Hofors, east-central Sweden, a man in his 60s who was struck by a tree while working in a forest later died in hospital, police confirmed.
More than 40 000 homes in Sweden lost power, and multiple rail services were cancelled, the Swedish news agency TT reported. Road traffic was also disrupted by fallen trees and debris.
In Norway, the Nordland region was among the hardest hit, with the fire department responding to more than 200 weather-related incidents, broadcaster NRK reported.
Around 23 000 homes in Nordland and 9 000 in the Inland region lost electricity, according to NRK via AFP. Ferries, flights and several railway lines were temporarily suspended as emergency crews worked to clear damage.
In Finland, where the system was referred to as Storm Hannes, strong winds caused similar disruption before easing on Sunday morning. Public broadcaster Yle reported that power outages peaked at over 120 000 homes on December 27, with around 85 000 still without electricity by midnight December 28.
At Kittilä Airport in northern Finland, strong winds pushed a Swiss Air passenger jet and a smaller private aircraft off the runway and into a snowbank after landing. The Swiss aircraft had just arrived from Geneva carrying about 150 passengers. No injuries were reported, and both aircraft were later secured, according to Finavia and the Helsinki Times.
Authorities across the region warned of hazardous travel conditions and advised residents to avoid non-essential travel as cleanup operations continued after winds subsided.
References:
1 Three killed in Sweden as major storm sweeps across Nordic countries – BBC – December 28, 2025
2 3 dead as Storm Johannes batters the Nordics, leaving thousands without power – AFP – December 28, 2025
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