 View of Ona village | |
 Interactive map of Ona | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Møre og Romsdal,Norway |
| Coordinates | 62°51′37″N6°33′15″E / 62.8603°N 6.5543°E /62.8603; 6.5543 |
| Archipelago | Ona |
| Total islands | 2 |
| Major islands | Ona, Husøya |
| Administration | |
Norway | |
| County | Møre og Romsdal |
| Municipality | Ålesund Municipality |
Ona[1] is a village and an island group located inÅlesund Municipality inMøre og Romsdal county,Norway. The tiny island of Ona and the larger island of Husøya are separated by a shallow 15-metre (49 ft) wide waterway. The two islands are collectively referred to asOna. The islands are located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) northwest of the island ofSandøya.
The historic village of Ona covers most of the tiny island of Ona. The highest point on Ona, the Onakalven cliff, is the site of theOna Lighthouse, which was built in 1867. The lighthouse and the tiny island itself has become a well known tourist spot inWestern Norway. It has aferry connection with the other islands in Ålesund and to the island ofGossa inAukra Municipality.[2]
The island has a population of about 20, with a gradually diminishing population for the last 50 years. Ona has been populated for centuries because of the proximity to thefishing grounds further out to theAtlantic Ocean, andfishing has traditionally been the only source of income. Lately, severalpottery artists have moved to the island.[2]
Ona was featured, along with "Morning Song" byBabe Rainbow, in theAllstate Insurance Company's (U.S.) television commercial in 2020.[3][4]
On 30 January 2025, theCounty Governor of Møre og Romsdal announced that the government had authorized the transfer of the islands of Ona andSandøya fromÅlesund Municipality to the neighboringAukra Municipality.[5] This came only four years after the merger that consolidatedSandøy Municipality intoÅlesund Municipality. Local islanders had since argued that the local authorities in Ålesund city (a three-hour drive from the islands) were too far away, expressing their fear of being neglected and marginalised. For centuries, the Ona, Sandøya, and Aukra were part of the same church parish and they have had strong economic connections through fishery and are still strongly interrelated up to this day. A few days later on 7 February 2025, after a change in the governing coalition in theStorting, the government announced that this decision was reversed and despite the local residents' desires to change municipality, the islands would remain part ofÅlesund Municipality.[6]
Ona has anoceanic climate (Köppen:Cfb) with cool/mild summers and relatively mild winters with considerable rainfall.
| Climate data for Ona II 1991-2020 (20 m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 5.4 (41.7) | 4.9 (40.8) | 5.6 (42.1) | 7.8 (46.0) | 10.6 (51.1) | 13 (55) | 15.4 (59.7) | 16.1 (61.0) | 14.2 (57.6) | 10.6 (51.1) | 7.9 (46.2) | 6.1 (43.0) | 9.8 (49.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.9 (39.0) | 3.2 (37.8) | 3.8 (38.8) | 5.5 (41.9) | 8.1 (46.6) | 10.7 (51.3) | 13.2 (55.8) | 14.2 (57.6) | 12.5 (54.5) | 9.2 (48.6) | 6.5 (43.7) | 4.5 (40.1) | 7.9 (46.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2 (36) | 1.6 (34.9) | 2.1 (35.8) | 3.8 (38.8) | 6.3 (43.3) | 9.3 (48.7) | 11.6 (52.9) | 12.4 (54.3) | 10.6 (51.1) | 7.2 (45.0) | 4.7 (40.5) | 2.8 (37.0) | 6.2 (43.2) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 138 (5.4) | 120 (4.7) | 118 (4.6) | 74 (2.9) | 64 (2.5) | 74 (2.9) | 73 (2.9) | 110 (4.3) | 142 (5.6) | 153 (6.0) | 130 (5.1) | 161 (6.3) | 1,357 (53.2) |
| Source 1: NOAA[7] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: yr.no (precipitation)[8] | |||||||||||||
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