Storms hit Romania
Romanian firefighters took action in scores of towns and villages in the southwest and west of the country
Sorin Iordan, 24.06.2026, 13:50
Romania has been subject to several weather warnings regarding instability, substantial rainfall and heat waves in recent days. According to the Department for Emergency Situations, firefighters intervened on Tuesday in 16 towns and villages in 7 counties, to mitigate the effects of recent storms, after having already carried out missions in 21 localities in 8 counties on Monday. Rescuers moved to take water out of houses, yards and cellars, as well as to remove dozens of trees fallen during the extreme weather phenomena.
Heavy rainfall caused significant damage in the counties of Dolj, in the southwest, and Timiş, in the west of the country. Craiova, the capital of Dolj County, was hit by heavy rainfall for two days in a row. Traffic was disrupted in several areas due to water accumulating on roads. The mayor of Craiova, Olguţa Vasilescu, announced that 24 streets were flooded and 4 trees were knocked down. She also said that rainfall amounted to over 100 litres of per square metre, with water reaching car windows in some areas.
Within two hours, the authorities issued 3 RO-ALERT warnings and 22 people were evacuated from the affected areas. Several river basins in Olt and Dolj counties were under monitoring until Wednesday morning, after warnings were issued regarding significant leaks on slopes, torrents and flash floods.
Emergency teams also responded in the western cities of Timişoara and Lugoj, after several streets, homes and basements were flooded. Also, a village in Timiş County was temporarily left without electricity. And also in the west, in Arad County, strong gusts of wind tore off the roof of a house.
In addition to downpours, Romania is also facing a heat wave, which is in fact affecting the entire continent these days. While elsewhere in Europe temperatures have exceeded 44 degrees Celsius, in Romania the highs are about 10 degrees Celsius lower. However, meteorologists warn that thermal discomfort remains high in the west and northwest.
The good news is that the area affected by rainfall and severe atmospheric instability is limited to the Carpathian arc, where torrential rain, lightning, wind and, in limited areas, storms and hail are expected. Under these circumstances, the public in the targeted areas have been informed that interior ministry teams are prepared to move to protect people and contain the effects of these weather phenomena. (AMP)
