Norway prepares for biggest storm in 30 years

Norway’s central Atlantic coast battened down on Wednesday as authorities warned that the country could see its most powerful storm in three decades and urged people to stay indoors

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Norway's central Atlantic coast battened down on Wednesday as authorities warned that the country could see its most powerful storm in three decades and urged people to stay indoors.

Hurricane-force winds are expected to hit the region, as air traffic companies and ferry lines predicted disruptions. Police warned that gusts of 126 to 180 kilometers per hour (78 to 112 miles per hour) were expected.

Named “Ingunn” by Norwegian meteorologists, the storm was expected to land in central Norway around midday Wednesday before moving north Thursday.

The storm is expected to hit the same area as the 1992 New Year’s hurricane, one of the strongest storms in Norway's history, the newspaper VG wrote.

Authorities issued a red warning, the highest level, for the area around the city of Trondheim, where strong winds were expected Wednesday. Another red warning also was issued for the Lofoten islands, up north along the coast in the Arctic.