Bucharest: Romania’s National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management (INHGA) issued a red flood alert on Friday for the Niscov River in Prahova and Buzau counties, warning of dangerous rises in water levels following heavy rainfall.
The alert is valid until 3 pm local time (1300 GMT) and signals a possible exceedance of danger thresholds.
Authorities also issued an orange alert until 12 pm local time for the Teleajen River in Prahova County and for rivers in the Milcov basin in Vrancea County, Xinhua news agency reported. A yellow alert is in effect for parts of the Barlad River basin in eastern Romania.
Romania’s hydrological authorities classify flood warnings into three levels – yellow, orange and red – ranging from potential flooding risk to extreme danger.
Emergency alerts were sent to residents in at-risk communities. In Prahova County, firefighters responded to several calls to pump water from flooded yards, with no homes reported damaged.
In Buzau County, rising water levels on the Niscov River blocked road access to the village of Mierea, leaving 12 people isolated in four households. Local emergency officials said the residents were safe and had sufficient supplies.
Earlier this week, Romania’s National Meteorological Administration (ANM) issued a Code Yellow warning for severe cold and frost, affecting more than half of the country.
The warning was in force for 28 counties as well as the capital, Bucharest, starting at 10 a.m. local time on Monday and remaining valid until Tuesday morning.
The start of the week brought heavy snowfall to Bucharest and several southern regions, leading to hazardous winter driving conditions on multiple roads, where maintenance crews actively worked.
Romania’s weather service had earlier forecast that the country will face a sharp cold snap in early February, with nighttime temperatures dropping to minus 15 degrees Celsius in mountain depressions and daytime highs falling below zero in the northeastern area.
Rain was expected in lowland areas, while there will be sleet and snow above an altitude of 1,500 metres due to lower temperatures in mountainous regions.
From early February, colder air spread across the country, with daytime temperatures in northern Moldova dropping to between minus 7 and minus 10 degrees Celsius.
The weather agency had added that February is likely to bring snowfall and mixed precipitation, particularly in the northern, central and eastern regions of the country.
(IANS)
