Romania braces for heavy rainfall and flooding on the Danube
Temperatures in Romania are expected to drop sharply from highs of 33-34 degrees Celsius to around half that over the weekend due to the storm formations over the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. The heavy rainfall is a cause of concern as it may increase the risk of flooding on the Danube river.
Warm weather will be gradually replaced with rains from Friday, September 27, to Monday, September 30. After the storms pass, weather will return to a normal average of around 22-23 degrees Celsius.
“The Mediterranean is very warm, and we know that a cyclone intensifies when a mass of very cold air replaces a pre-existing hot air mass. The greater the temperature difference, the more intense the phenomena,” said Elena Mateescu, Director of the National Meteorological Administration, or ANM, cited by HotNews.ro.
The heavy rainfall may cause higher-than-expected flooding on the Danube and other rivers in the country. Environment minister Mircea Fechet mentioned in an interview that the Danube has swollen to about 9,500 cubic meters per second, in part due to the effects of the cyclone Boris, which caused flooding in the entire region.
“We are expecting significant rainfall in Romania, around 80 or maybe 100 liters per square meter, or even more. We could face situations similar to those from the previous storm,” the minister warned in an interview cited by Digi24.
While evacuations are not in order at the moment, authorities are expecting issues to arise, and are coordinating their efforts.
The storm Boris, which caused temperatures in the central and eastern European region to plummet and floods to take place, has led to severe damages and the death of seven people in Romania. Thousands of homes were severely damaged.
“Starting tomorrow, we will expand monitoring of how the Danube’s tributaries will affect the river’s flow in Romania. We were expecting around 7,800-8,000 cubic meters per second at Baziaș, which we would have managed without issues. The updated forecast based on these new weather phenomena now indicates that flows could reach 9,500 cubic meters per second, which is alarming.” Fechet said.
Experts previously believed that a single cyclone, which was to bear the name Ashley, was set to hit Europe this weekend. Florinela Georgescu, Executive Director of the same ANM, explained that currently, two storms are active over the Atlantic, but they are heading towards northern Europe and do not directly affect Romania.
However, the expected rains and wind intensifications in Romania over the weekend are caused by a cold atmospheric front associated with these storms. Additionally, the rains coincide with the period when the Danube flood is expected, with authorities warning that the situation is concerning.
(Photo source: Inquam Photos | George Calin)
