The storms came after several weeks of heat and severe drought in Central Europe and the Balkans.
Read more A group of armed Russian bombers and fighters conducted a mission over the Baltic Sea
An electrician died in Himare, on Albania’s southern coast, while trying to repair a power transmission line damaged by the storm.
Police reported finding the body of a 61-year-old fisherman in the southern Saranda region. Local media reported that the storm capsized his boat.
Local media reported that three more people were hospitalized in Saranda, injured by falling trees and broken glass.
In Bosnia, the southern Herzegovina region was most affected, especially Nevesinje and its surroundings.
The city’s mayor, Milenko Avdalović (Milenkas Avdalovičius), said on Wednesday that the storm caused “enormous damage” to crops.
Read more Brief: for every Iranian attack, the US will destroy a bridge or a power plant
“In the storm-ravaged villages (…) our farmers will practically have nothing left to harvest,” he said.
“The storm swept everything away,” he told public television RTRS, describing fields of potatoes, onions, and cabbage, as well as orchards.
Strong winds, with gusts reaching 37 m per second, raged across almost all of North Macedonia.
In Skopje, more than 100 vehicles were damaged, and 189 trees were uprooted.
Several public buildings were also damaged, including the presidential palace, several ministries, and the airport.
Scientists warn that as the planet continues to warm due to pollution from burning fossil fuels, extreme weather events worldwide are likely to become more frequent and intense.
Read more „Žalgiris“ – an additional million from Kaunas city
