Unexpected snow and stormy winds have caused widespread power outages in the Western Balkans and Britain. In Serbia and Bosnia, thousands of people have been left without electricity and water. Storm Amy is approaching the UK, with warnings issued for strong winds and rain, UNN reports, citing the Independent.
Details
As stated, heavy wet snow covered the hilly and mountainous regions of Serbia and Bosnia this week, bringing down power lines and trees. In lowland areas, prolonged rains have raised concerns about possible floods and landslides. At high altitudes, the snow cover has already exceeded half a meter, and, according to meteorologist Slobodan Sovilj of the state hydrometeorological service, its level could set new records in October.
We have a number of areas without electricity due to broken trees and branches that have fallen on power lines.
The southwestern municipalities of Medveđa and Crna Trava were left without drinking water and telephone communication, local officials reported. Several Serbian municipalities have introduced emergency measures to deal with the consequences of the snowfall.
In Bosnia, a number of roads were closed on Friday due to snow. Authorities urged drivers to be especially careful and reminded them of the mandatory change to winter tires from November 1.
The Jahorina ski resort near Sarajevo was covered in snow after a snowfall that began on Thursday and caught visitors by surprise.
"We came here in flip-flops, and now we need boots and jackets," said Sandra Majstorović, a tourist in the center.
Experts note that extreme weather events, including abnormal heat or cold, can be a consequence of climate change. In September, temperatures in the Western Balkans rose to 30 °C, and in summer, hot days reached over 40 °C. Meanwhile, a strong wind warning has been issued in the UK due to the approaching Storm Amy.
A yellow weather warning has been issued for much of Scotland and Northern Ireland as Storm Amy will bring strong winds and rain to other parts of the UK over the weekend. Later, wet and windy weather will spread south.
The first seasonal storm approaching from the Atlantic forced schools in Northern Ireland to close early and ferry services from western Scotland to be canceled.