Bucharest residents were told to ‘avoid travel and seek shelter’ as Storm Barbara hits Romania.
The Red Code Rain Warning was issued Tuesday evening for Bucharest and five surrounding counties.
Schools will be closed Wednesday in Bucharest and other Counties with a Ro-Alert warning residents: “Avoid Travel and Seek Shelter”.
The bad weather which started Tuesday will peak on Wednesday with weather alerts valid for about half the country. By Tuesday noon, local authorities had decided to close schools in Constanța, Ialomița and Călărași counties, in southeast Romania.
The Mediterranean cyclone will bring very heavy rains, with up to 140 liters per square meter.
The south and east can expect high winds as well as heavy rain. “It will rain three times as much as it should in October,” said Elena Mateescu, the head of the Romanian Meteorology Administration.
“We have a Mediterranean cyclone also fed by moisture from the western Black Sea basin that generates significant amounts of precipitation,” she added.
Climatologist Roxana Bojariu said that Cyclone Barbara is a normal weather phenomenon for this time of year, but what is unusual is the volume of rain that will fall in a short time. She adds that meteorologists have issued a red code not to create panic, but to allow authorities can take the necessary measures.
Storm Barbara is also on its way to Cyprus and Bulgaria and expected to make landfall on Tuesday evening.
