Bad weather hits Romania
The severe weather over the weekend caused blackouts in the SE of the country and affected road traffic in the NE
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Sorin Iordan, 20.11.2023, 13:50
This past weekend Romania was affected by severe weather. In the mountain areas in the centre and north-east, massive snowfalls were reported, resulting in a significant layer of snow; in the south-east however, especially in Dobrogea and on the seacoast, mixed precipitation was reported, while the wind reached speeds as high as 100 km per hour.
A total 52 localities in 16 counties were affected by the bad weather, the General Inspectorate for Emergencies Announced. In the counties of Neamţ, Suceava and Vaslui, in the north-east of the country, snowfalls and snowstorms led to the closing of several roads, and the blizzards caused blackouts in several towns and villages.
In the south-east, the wind was the main problem. On Saturday, Unit 1 of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant got automatically disconnected from the national power system, and a number of wind turbines stopped working. The Nuclearelectrica National Corporation announced that, as a result of disruptions, the plant produced nearly 1,700 MW less than under usual circumstances.
The lower electricity output and the damage caused by the wind led to blackouts in scores of places. On Sunday afternoon, around 40,000 consumers in 80 localities in Dobrogea were left without electricity, according to the supplier. Meanwhile, power has been restored for close to 93% of the affected users. The Cernavodă Unit 1 was also re-synched with the national power grid, and has been operating at maximum capacity since Monday morning.
A special situation was reported in the city of Constanţa. Romanias largest Black Sea port was hit by a serious storm on Saturday night. The wind, blowing at over 100 km/h, tore down roofs, trees, street light posts and electricity poles, and damaged tens of vehicles. In the Tomis Marina, several boats were also damaged, and some of them sank at the pier.
After this weekends severe weather spell, the National Meteorology Agency forecasts rising temperatures in most of the country, and especially in the south-west and the south, where they would go above the average for this period. Clouds will linger in the northern half of the country, with rainfalls expected in Maramureş, Moldavia, Transylvania, and in small parts of Crișana and Banat. In the mountains, mixed precipitation is forecast. The wind has slowed down, with occasional gusts at high altitudes. (AMP)
