Romania – between flooding and extreme heat

While eastern Romania is seeing the most significant flooding in recent years, meteorologists have issued warnings for a new heatwave that is going to affect almost its entire territory

Daniela Budu, 22.06.2021, 14:00

Romania is these days
seeing extreme weather conditions. While its eastern regions are being affected
by heavy rains, its western part is under a heatwave with soaring temperatures of
40 degrees centigrade. According to meteorologists, all the regions in Romania will
this week be in for higher temperatures and humidity indexes, expected to make
the heatwave more difficult to cope with.

Romanians must also brace
themselves for other extreme weather phenomena, such as gale-force winds and
thunderstorms. Experts believe the torrential rains in the past days were
created by the cyclone that formed in the Black Sea, a natural phenomenon,
which initially seemed to have withdrawn, but eventually came back with renewed
strength affecting the country’s eastern regions with a series of powerful
thunderstorms and heavy downpours.

The sky was mainly
overcast in the country’s capital city, which is quite unusual for this time of
the year. Yellow and orange alerts for heavy rainfalls, thunderstorms and hail
have been issued for the entire territory as well as flood warnings for almost
all rivers in the country but those in the west and north-west.

Roads and households have
been affected by the latest flooding in several Romanian regions, where the
authorities had to intervene. Scores of towns and villages across Romania are
bearing the brunt of the latest extreme weather conditions, which have caused
material and human loss. Nowcasting alerts have been issued in the past days in
an attempt to prevent and diminish the effects of the extreme weather affecting
this country.

Meteorologists believe
that extreme weather phenomena are to continue this week as well, mainly in the
afternoons and evenings, when heavy downpours, thunderstorms and even hail are
also expected. According to the latest weather forecasts, a heatwave is to hit
the country on Thursday and Friday, when most of its regions are going to face
higher discomfort indexes.

Experts believe this
summer Romania is going to see more extreme weather with unsettled skies, heavy
downpours and powerful thunderstorms. Statistically speaking this June even stands
chances to be among the months with the most significant amount of rainfalls in
the past 50 years.

There are clear signs
that the weather, as we know it, is changing not only in our country but also
in Europe. The French authorities have reported significant flooding in some
regions whereas northern Germany has been affected by extremely hot
temperatures.

(bill)