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The boss of the world’s largest publicly listed oil tanker operator has accused the UN maritime rule-setting body of “sleeping behind the wheel” over the growing dark fleet of unregulated vessels, saying it is “only a question of time” before a significant disaster takes place.

Lars Barstad, chief executive of Frontline, also criticised European governments for failing to enforce rules meant to curtail trading in Russian oil, saying they were worried about forcing up energy prices.

The number of dark fleet vessels has grown to about a fifth of the world fleet after Russian-linked owners bought up hundreds of ageing ships to circumvent western countries’ curbs on the country’s oil trade.

The potential for disaster was illustrated in July when the Hafnia Nile, a tanker operated by Singapore-based Hafnia, collided with the Ceres I, a dark fleet vessel carrying Iranian oil, in waters off Malaysia.

According to a subsequent US Treasury sanctions notice against the Ceres I’s owners, at the time of the collision the vessel’s radar system was broadcasting an inaccurate location — a common tactic for dark fleet ships trying to conceal their activities.

Dark fleet vessels, which carry oil from Iran and Venezuela as well as Russia, are generally the property of offshore companies whose ownership is unclear and often lack adequate insurance. They are frequently registered under the flags of countries that do little to enforce rules about regular safety inspections.

Barstad said he was “very, very concerned” about the growth of the dark fleet, which he said had incentivised a number of “lawbreaking operators” to make an “insane amount of money”.

He added that the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN body, was doing too little to ensure enforcement of its safety and environmental rules.

“All these vessels . . . are trading outside the IMO framework,” Barstad said. “They have been sleeping behind the wheel now for quite some time in respect of tankers.”

There had been reports of other, unconfirmed incidents besides the Ceres I collision, Barstad added. “I’m very surprised we’ve not had more incidents like this,” he said. “I think it’s only a question of time until we get a big one.”

A vessel such as the Ceres I — which was carrying 2mn barrels of crude oil — could be split in two in a future incident, he said.

“That would be in the environment a bigger problem,” Barstad said. “It can happen any day — and then the biggest problem is that, if that happens, nobody will know who actually owns the ship or the cargo.”

Shipowners that complied with the regulations, such as Frontline, were facing disadvantages because so many others were operating with lower costs in unregulated dark fleets, Barstad added. He said that reflected politicians’ lack of willingness to enforce the sanctions.

“Politicians have decided not to take the political risks,” Barstad said, adding that he thought many feared higher energy prices if oil from Russia, Iran and Venezuela were truly excluded from international markets.

There have been persistent suggestions that countries such as Denmark — which controls the entrance to the Baltic — and countries by the English Channel should inspect and take into custody tankers sailing past their coasts without proper insurance.

Barstad declined to single out particular states but said: “It seems extremely halfhearted the way enforcement has been done. A tough position should be taken if one is serious about this.”

The IMO said in response to Barstad’s criticism that its general assembly passed a resolution in late 2023 calling on member states to take tougher action over fraudulent registration of ships and to step up inspections of vessels in port.

It also said member states had the responsibility to ensure that vessels flying their flag followed the required rules and to ensure ships visiting their ports did so.

The first weekend of 2025 is having the coldest air of the season, according to the National Weather Service. The first significant winter storm of the year will impact 62 million people through the weekend and into Monday.

Heavy snow, ice, rain and severe thunderstorms will be unleashed from the Plains to the East Coast. While snow and ice has been limited to the northern states this winter, the upcoming storm will impact areas less prone to winter weather.

“The major winter storm will bring significant disruptions to the Central Plains by late Saturday, spreading to the Ohio Valley on Sunday,” the NWS said.

Travel delays are likely as the storm is forecast to reach the mid-Atlantic by Sunday night. Severe thunderstorms are expected in areas with warmer temperatures. The storm could also impact Texas and Mississippi, which are still recovering from last month’s deadly storms.

States are gearing up for heavy snowfall and hazardous conditions 

A nasty mix of sleet, snow and freezing rain is expected to disrupt travel and daily life in the central United States, according to the NWS Winter Storm Severity Index.

The storm will begin with a deep surge of moist air moving north out of the Gulf of Mexico, which will spread rain and snow over the Plains. As it strengthens and expands, it will track east and spread into the Mississippi Valley and parts of the Midwest on Sunday morning, and reach the East Coast by Sunday night and Monday morning.

Officials have already begun preparing for the worst. On Friday, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson put the National Guard on standby, and Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia declared a state of emergency. Youngkin has urged people to avoid traveling on Sunday.

“I’m encouraging all Virginians, visitors, and travelers to stay alert, monitor the weather forecast, and prepare now for any potential impacts,” Youngkin said in a statement.

States of emergency have also been declared in Kentucky and Arkansas. In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a press conference that emergency warming centers will open on Sunday and people should stay off the roads.

Major cities such as Chicago, St. Louis and Washington, D.C., have also begun pretreating their roads and preparing warming centers.

For those needing to rebook flights due to the storms, American Airlines, Delta, Southwest and United all said they were waiving certain change fees at some locations.

Near-blizzard conditions are expected in the Central Plains 

Heavy snowfall and wind gusts of over 40 mph could create blizzard conditions in the Central Plains by Sunday morning. The region from central Kansas to Indiana may get at least 8 inches of snow, with potential lingering snow showers on Monday.

The NWS Weather Prediction Center said that the most extreme conditions will likely be in places running along the Interstate 70 Corridor, which passes through St. Louis and Indianapolis.

There is also “significant icing potential” mainly in parts of Kansas, Missouri and Kentucky this weekend, according to forecasters. Icing is when rain freezes on contact with the ground. It can also affect cars and car windows — essentially any surface outside.

A thin layer of ice can cause dangerous road conditions for vehicles and pedestrians. Thicker layers of ice can cause power outages and make roads impassable. In 2023, a January ice storm stretching from Texas to Tennessee left hundreds of thousands without power.

Thunderstorms expected in warmer climates

States too warm for snow will also experience extreme weather. Severe thunderstorms are likely on Sunday in parts of Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, according to the NWS Storm Prediction Center.

The Southeast is expected to see the heaviest rainfall, and the storm could cause flooding. There is also an enhanced risk of thunderstorms in parts of the lower Mississippi Valley on Sunday.

This storm is expected to pass by late Monday. It will exit the East Coast on Monday night and fully diminish its impact overnight. But temperatures are expected to plunge on Tuesday. The eastern two-thirds of the U.S. will see temperatures 30 degrees below normal, and the frigid air could last until mid-January.