Red weather warnings have been issued for Serbia, Romania, and parts of Greece as a low-pressure system brings prolonged rainfall and strong winds to south-eastern Europe. The system, which developed over the Mediterranean midweek, moved north-east into the Balkans on Thursday, bringing widespread showers, thunderstorms, and heavy rain.
Forecasters predict 48-hour rainfall totals of 80-130mm across much of the region. The warnings cover Serbia, south-west Romania, north-east Greece, and the Dodecanese and North Aegean Islands, highlighting the risk of flooding and threat to life. Strong winds also forced the closure of schools on Zakynthos in the Ionian Islands.
Cold air drawn in from eastern Europe has added to the severity, producing heavy snowfall across the Dinaric Alps, with some models forecasting depths of up to 80cm by the weekend.
Earlier in the week, eastern Spain and the Balearic Islands endured severe flooding as the remnants of Hurricane Gabrielle crossed the Iberian peninsula. Valencia and Ibiza were worst affected; Gandia recorded 356.8mm in 12 hours – more than 10 times its September average – while Ibiza had 254mm in 24 hours, its wettest day since at least 1952. Roads, train stations, parks, and schools were forced to close, and one gauge near Aldaia measured 57mm in 35 minutes, causing the La Saleta ravine to overflow.
