South-Eastern European Nations Confront Heightened Flood Risk Owing to Rainy Circumstances
Although storms and hurricanes have churned in the Atlantic and Pacific east, the continent has faced extreme conditions of its own. A weather disturbance that developed over the Mediterranean Sea in the middle of the week moved northeast into southeastern Europe on Thursday, bringing extensive showers, thunderstorms and prolonged rainfall.
Persistent Rainfall and Critical Alerts
The low-pressure area is expected to persist into the end of the week, with models indicating two-day totals of three to five inches of precipitation across a large part of the Balkan Peninsula. Red weather warnings were issued for the nation of Serbia, southwestern Romania, Greece's northeast, and the Dodecanese and North Aegean Islands, highlighting the risk of flooding and risk to human safety. High winds also forced the closure of schools on Zakynthos in the Ionian Islands.
Chilly Air Adds Severity
Chilly air masses brought in from eastern Europe added to the intensity, generating heavy snowfall across the Alpine region, with several predictions predicting snow levels of up to 80cm by the weekend.
Recent Inundation in Spanish Regions
Previously, the eastern part of Spain and the Balearic Islands suffered severe inundation as the leftovers of Hurricane Gabrielle crossed the Iberian region before stalling over the nearby sea. Valencia and Ibiza were worst affected; Gandia registered 14 inches in a 12-hour period – over tenfold its average for the month, while Ibiza had 254mm in a full day, its wettest day since at least 1952.
Streets, railway stations, parks, and schools were forced to close, while a rain gauge near the area of Aldaia recorded 57mm in just half an hour, resulting in the La Saleta waterway to flood. The flooding come just shy of a year after destructive flooding in Valencia in the previous year that claimed the lives of hundreds of residents.
Storm Bualoi Hits Vietnamese Regions
Typhoon Bualoi struck the coast across the central part of Vietnam this past week, bringing torrential rain, strong winds, and huge sea swells. Over 300 millimeters of rainfall was observed within a 24-hour span on Monday, leading to flash floods and mudslides that blocked more than 3,000 roads and isolated communities across the northern regions. Many airplane journeys were disrupted or postponed, and rail transport between the capital Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City were halted.
Authorities reported 36 fatalities and 147 people injured, with 21 people still missing. Hundreds of thousands of residences were impacted or inundated, with over 51,000 hectares of agricultural produce destroyed. The Vietnamese authorities has assessed that the storm has led to more than $350m in property damage this past week.
