The effects of winter in eastern Romania

Eastern Romania is in the grip of bad weather.

Leyla Cheamil, 09.01.2024, 14:00

After a mild winter, the cold season finally makes its presence felt in eastern Romania, where heavy snow and blizzard are reported. The counties of Iasi, Neamţ, Vrancea, Buzău, Galati and Brăila are among the most affected by the severe weather. A number of localities have been left without electricity. Traffic is hampered by blizzard that reduces visibility and by the snow layer on the road. The authorities have temporarily closed traffic on several sections of the national road. At the same time, on other sections, traffic restrictions have been imposed for trucks over 7.5 tons. The most difficult situation is in Galati county (south-east), where the red intervention plan has been activated after a minibus with 17 passengers overturned due to the strong wind.

At the same time, several trains have been delayed for hours. As for the airports, delays of 20 to 30 minutes have been announced, to allow for the mandatory de-icing operation on aircraft. After the heavy snow and blizzard on Monday, the authorities in Iași county decided to keep schools, high schools and kindergartens closed on Tuesday, just one day after the winter holiday had ended. The decision was made by the members of the County Committee for Emergencies.

Citizen safety must come first, and, at present, neither the representatives of the Iasi City Hall nor those of the County Council can guarantee that it will be possible to travel safely and that the students will not freeze in the stations or in the means of transport stuck in the snow, the authorities said. In the neighboring county, Neamţ, classes are suspended in several education units. Classes at schools in eight counties are suspended in physical format, and are held online.

The snow and blizzard are also causing problems in the neighboring country, Moldova, where meteorologists have announced code orange alerts for bad weather and disruptions of transport. The Moldovan authorities decided to suspend the activity of education institutions, schools and kindergartens, in the capital Chisinau, for two days, on January 9 and 10. Also, on Monday, the activity of public institutions was suspended, except for those involved in snow removal and hospitals. Also on Monday, several flights that were to land in or take off from Chisinau International Airport were cancelled, as airport representatives announced that, due to the strong wind and heavy snow, the de-icing procedures could not be conducted. The crossing of trucks through the Leuşeni-Albita customs was also restricted. The Romanian authorities have temporarily banned the circulation of trucks on public roads, due to the bad weather. (EE)