Storms and fires hit Balkan countries following a period of extreme summer heat

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) – A severe hail storm ripped trees and roofs in Croatia on Tuesday while hundreds of fires raged in neighboring Serbia following a period of extremely hot weather in parts of the Balkan region.

A brief but powerful storm hit Croatia’s Adriatic Sea port of Split during the morning on Tuesday. High winds and hail damaged the roof of the city’s soccer stadium and caused a ferry to slip its moorings at the port which then hit two other vessels, one of which sank.

At least three people were injured in the storm, and material damage across the city was huge. Photos carried by Croatian media showed downed trees and flooded streets.

The Index news portal said that offices and the pitch itself at Split’s Poljud stadium were damaged as well as the roof. The report quoted the Split meteorological service as saying that “such storms are usual after a long period of heat with extremely hot days.”

Previously, Croatia and the rest of the Balkans experienced a heat wave with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and more. Meteorologists said the storms prefigured cooler days ahead with temperatures set to drop to around 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit) in some areas.

The weather service in neighboring Slovenia said on Tuesday that snow fell at high altitudes in the Alps while the rest of the country has been pounded with heavy rain and hail.

In Serbia, firefighters battled more than 600 wild fires on Monday that injured six people. Serbia has been hit by a severe drought this summer that has endangered crops and led to restrictions in supplies of drinking water throughout the country.

Serbian police late on Monday urged residents to be very cautious as dry and hot weather increases chances of wild fires. At least three municipalities in southern parts of the country declared emergency measures due to the fires.

“Many villages were jeopardized. We have a number of burnt and damaged properties but we have managed to save many too,” senior emergency official Nedeljko Gagic told state-run RTS television.

Serbia’s meteorological institute has also warned on low water levels on the two biggest rivers in the country, the Danube and the Sava, as well as smaller ones.

Experts say that extreme weather conditions can be linked to climate change. Extremely hot weather and wild fires were reported throughout Europe in early July.