Balkans struck by severe storms causing one death and dozens of injuries
Strong thunderstorms swept the Balkans overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, killing an electrician in southern Albania and leaving 13 people injured across the region. The heavy rain followed a period of intense heat and drought in central Europe and the Balkans.
In Bosnia‑Herzegovina, the southern part, especially the town of Nevesinje, suffered the greatest damage, with crops destroyed and losses estimated in the millions of euros. Nearby vineyards in Grunte and Ljumbuski were also hit. North Macedonia experienced gale‑force winds up to 134 km/h in Skopje and the town of Stip, prompting more than 9,000 emergency calls, damaging hundreds of vehicles, uprooting 189 trees, and harming public buildings such as the presidential palace, ministries and the airport.
Along Croatia’s Adriatic coast, the island of Kvarner saw sea levels rise by about 1.5 metres, flooding the shoreline and roads in Stari Grad. The storms caused widespread disruption and significant agricultural and infrastructure losses throughout the affected Balkan states.