The Balkans were hit by another deadly storm this week, leaving a trail of destruction and claiming the lives of three people in Serbia, as reported by local media on Saturday.
The storm first struck Slovenia on Friday, then moved on to Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia, unleashing powerful gusts of wind and heavy rainfall. Authorities in the affected regions reported widespread power distribution issues and extensive damage, including fallen trees that crushed cars and rooftops.
This recent weather calamity comes just days after another storm wreaked havoc in the region, claiming six lives – four in Croatia, one in Slovenia, and another in Bosnia.
Meteorologists pointed out that the intensity of these storms was likely exacerbated by a series of scorching hot days that preceded them. Climate experts are raising concerns that such extreme weather events are linked to climate change, emphasising the urgent need for action to address global warming and its impacts.
The northern Serbian city of Novi Sad was one of the hardest-hit areas, where a 12-year-old was tragically found dead in the street during the storm. The cause of the child’s death remains uncertain, with possibilities ranging from being struck by lightning to electrocution, as stated by the official RTS television. Novi Sad’s exhibition hall also suffered damage to its roof, and numerous streets remained blocked on Saturday morning, causing disruptions and challenges for residents.
In Kovacica, a village in northeastern Serbia, a woman lost her life to smoke inhalation after a fire broke out when lightning struck a tree near her house, according to reports from the RTS.
In neighbouring Croatia, the storm unleashed further destruction across various parts of the country, compounding the damage left by the previous storm. Many citizens were injured in a tourist campsite in the northern Istria peninsula, which attracts numerous foreign visitors during the summer months.
Slovenia, too, reported significant damage to its forests, with concerns raised about potential flash floods in the Alpine nation.
