Unprecedented rainfall has hit eastern Romania, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate from flooded areas.
Five people were found dead, the AP agency reported, citing Romanian emergency authorities.
The elements affected a total of 19 settlements in eight counties; strong winds knocked down dozens of trees, damaging cars, blocking roads and traffic.
Rescue services tried to save people in the worst-hit eastern counties of Galati and Vaslui. The bodies of three elderly women and two men were found in the villages of Pecea, Draguseni, Costache Negri and Corod, the newspaper notes. — Authorities later added that one of the victims had been dead for two days and “died not because of weather conditions,” but for other reasons.
Romania’s Environment Minister Mircea Fechet said some areas had received more than 160 liters of rain per square meter, which he said was rare.
What we are trying to do now is to save as many lives as possible,” he stressed.
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu cancelled meetings scheduled for Saturday to travel, like Fechet, to the affected Galati county to assess the situation.
In addition to Romania, stormy weather is set to hit several Central European countries this weekend, including the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary.
According to meteorologists, the bad weather was caused by a low-pressure area from northern Italy, which dumped heavy rainfall over most parts of the Czech Republic, including the capital and border regions with Austria and Germany in the south and Poland in the north.
The change in weather comes after a record-breaking hot summer and a scorching start to September in the region, including Romania. Scientists have documented the hottest summer on Earth, which broke a record set only a year ago.
Source: AP
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.