Extreme weather in Romania
Scorching heat and torrential rains are familiar to Romanians. However, when the two weather phenomena come one after the other or, even worse, overlap, inconvenience follows naturally. Or, the recent forecasts, seasoned with messages sent through the RoAlert system for warning and alarming the population, are signs of emergency situations that have put many to the test. After a gloomy and colder ending of May and beginning of June than usual for this time of the year, torrential rains followed.
Roxana Vasile, 25.06.2021, 11:50
Scorching heat and torrential rains are familiar to Romanians. However, when the two weather phenomena come one after the other or, even worse, overlap, inconvenience follows naturally. Or, the recent forecasts, seasoned with messages sent through the RoAlert system for warning and alarming the population, are signs of emergency situations that have put many to the test. After a gloomy and colder ending of May and beginning of June than usual for this time of the year, torrential rains followed.
At the end of last week, a cyclone formed in the Black Sea brought storms and heavy rainfall, especially in the eastern half of the country. Two people killed by the raging torrents, entire localities flooded, including parts of Bucharest, significant material damage … are, in short, the effects of the cyclone. The magnitude of the weather phenomenon has been termed as unprecedented for the last years in Romania. And the danger is not over yet!
The whole week that is about to end, heavy rains have overlapped with extreme heat, especially in the west of the country. Red, orange and yellow codes for floods, adding to red, orange and yellow codes for excessive heat, that’s what meteorologists and hydrologists’ maps have shown lately. What should Romanians expect this weekend?
Here is weather expert Viorica Dima: The mercury in thermometers will stop in the Western Plain somewhere at 35-36 degrees Celsius, and this slight decrease is not necessarily due to colder air coming towards us, but due to nebulosity, as a fairly well-defined and quite active atmospheric front is coming from Central Europe heading to Romania. This front will cover the western and northwestern areas of Romania, to eventually cross the entire country by Saturday evening. There will be torrential downpours, and also strong winds, of 60-80 kilometers per hour, and temperatures will drop accordingly. Given that, along the way, the storm potential of this frontal system will be losing its virulence, it is very likely that we will not face heavy hailstorms like the ones that destroyed significant areas in Austria. As for the tornado that formed on the territory of the Czech Republic, if the atmospheric conditions encourage it, it is possible that we will also have such clouds with rotational motion.
Given the extent of the damage caused, throughout this year, by floods, landslides or other special meteorological phenomena, the Romanian Government has decided to grant those affected emergency aid up to 5 million lei (about 1 million euros). (MI)
