Torrential rains and early snowstorms battered parts of the Balkans on Friday, leaving at least three people dead in Bulgaria and thousands without electricity across Serbia and Bosnia, officials said.
Bulgarian Interior Minister Daniel Mitov said two rescuers were among the victims after flash floods hit the Black Sea resort of Elenite following days of heavy rainfall. Cars, caravans and debris were swept into the sea, while homes, hotels and campsites were inundated.
A state of emergency was declared in several coastal towns, and public transport was suspended due to flooded roads. Navy teams joined rescue operations to search for missing people and assist in evacuations.
In northwestern Bulgaria, heavy wet snow downed power lines and blocked mountain passes. The national railway company reported delays and cancellations after trees fell on tracks and damaged overhead wires.
The storm system stretched across the region, dumping more than half a meter of snow in parts of Serbia and Bosnia, meteorologists said. Power cuts were reported in dozens of villages, and local authorities urged drivers to switch to winter tires earlier than usual.
“We have a number of areas without electricity because of trees and branches that fell on power lines,” said Aleksandar Mitrovic, head of the Ivanjica municipality in central Serbia. Officials in the nearby Medvedja and Crna Trava municipalities said residents were also left without drinking water and phone connections.
In Bosnia, roads were closed and traffic disrupted as snow blanketed the Jahorina ski resort near Sarajevo. “We came here in flip-flops and now we need boots and jackets,” said tourist Sandra Majstorovic.
Meteorologists said the early cold snap followed weeks of unseasonably warm weather, with temperatures across the Western Balkans topping 30 degrees Celsius in September. Experts warn that such erratic patterns — alternating between extreme heat and sudden cold — are consistent with the broader effects of climate change.