Heavy rain, flood warnings and a contested match

News from Bergen / Vestland over the past 48 hours has been dominated by heavy rainfall. Vestland county is under a yellow warning for floods and landslides, while several roads were closed on Sunday evening (NRK Bergen / Vestland). On the sporting front, the Brann – Aalesund match was played in heavily disputed conditions.

Bergen / Vestland news: intense rain and flood warnings

NVE has issued a yellow flood warning for Vestland and part of Rogaland. The alert runs from Sunday through Monday inclusive. According to the Meteorological Institute, between 60 and 100 mm of rain is expected in 24 hours, from Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon, with up to 120 mm locally (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

NVE reports a risk of overflow and erosion damage in streams and rivers due to the heavy rainfall. A yellow warning for flom- og jordskred (flooding and landslides) has also been issued for the same period.

The road traffic control centre (Vegtrafikksentralen) has received regular reports of water on the road, particularly in the Bergen area. Large amounts of water are reported at the roundabout near Åyrane torg and at Arna station. On Nye Sædalsvegen (fv. 5198), the road was closed on Sunday evening. "There is too much water for it to be reasonable to pass," said traffic operator Malin Blom, calling on all road users to take the conditions into account. Flooding is also reported on the E16 at the exit towards Indre Arna in the direction of Voss.

Brann – Aalesund: the rain at the centre of criticism

At Brann Stadion, Aalesund opened the scoring after only about 30 seconds. Ingeborg Skretting cut in from the right and placed the ball out of the Brann goalkeeper's reach. "What a start to the match. There hasn't even been a minute," commented Petter Bø Tosterud on TV 2 (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

A win would have allowed the Bergen side to extend their lead to nine points with four matches remaining. In the end, it was Aalesund who took control of the game. Late on, it was no longer only the result that drew reaction.

As the second half wore on, conditions on the pitch became increasingly difficult. Rain was falling heavily and water was pooling in several areas of the field. The Brann coach lost his temper: he called it "totally absurd" that the match had been allowed to continue in such conditions.

Heritage: scanning the stavkirker against climate change

At the Kulturhistorisk museum, Bjarte Aarseth is producing detailed 3D models of the sculptures, runes and other traces found in the stavkirker. Increased humidity and rainfall can cause cracks, rot and a gradual loss of detail in the wood (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

The scans make it possible to track changes over time and show the impact of both climate and tourist traffic on these churches. Aarseth believes all the stavkirker should be scanned in order to secure a digital copy of the heritage. The oldest are nearly 900 years old, but a wetter climate is now wearing down the richly decorated wooden structures. Aarseth was present at Borgund stavkirke.

A tool to "give a voice" to people without verbal language

Tobias Bakke has no verbal language. His family, loved ones and carers must interpret sounds, glances and small movements. Researchers are developing a tool that uses pulse measurements to detect pain and agitation earlier (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

An application is set to gather the measurements, alert when readings deviate and help caregivers spot patterns. The results suggest the method can be a useful supplement and contribute to a better understanding of the person. The professional community welcomes the research, but stresses that the technology cannot replace human knowledge and that ethical considerations are important. Tobias's mother is positive about innovations that could help her son signal that he is not doing well.

Stord: a call for a permanent residence permit

A woman originally from Iran arrived in Norway at the age of 50. She is now 70 and still lives in an asylum reception centre. The Stord centre is one of 14 facilities in the country set to close before the new year due to a lower number of refugees, according to UDI (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

Among the longest-standing residents is this woman, whose asylum application has been rejected. At the end of August, 97 people were being housed in centres with an obligation to leave the country, while at least 15 years had passed since their asylum applications, according to figures from the Utlendingsdirektoratet. 39 were from Eritrea, 22 from Iran and nine from Ethiopia. Susan Hassan Abdallah, an independent representative on Stord municipal council, is calling for a permanent residence permit to be granted to four people.

📌 Local briefs

A student from Bergen died in a fall at the abandoned Killingdalsgruva mine in Holtålen, 30 km north of Røros. The man was studying at NTNU in Trondheim and was with four other students, who raised the alarm (NRK Bergen / Vestland).

At Flesland airport, a screen has helped smooth the taxi queue, reports Bergens Tidende.

Researchers are concerned about mackerel, a species whose situation is described as critical (Bergens Tidende).

Sources: NRK Bergen / Vestland, Bergens Tidende, The Local Norway — Period: 04 October 2026 and 05 October 2026