Residents of the Romanian capital woke up to up to half a meter of snow on Wednesday morning as Bucharest was hit by the biggest blizzard in years, with roads blocked, trees knocked down and flights canceled.
A Ro-Alert warning was sent at 4.20 am telling residents to avoid travel. The red alert is valid until 08:20.
Trams were blocked on tramlines, busy roads were relatively empty and pedestrians walked in the roads to avoid snow-choked pavements.
Emergency services carried out 100 interventions, and some flights were canceled or diverted to other airports.
The heavy snow caused problems in south, central and eastern Romania with traffic restrictions on several highways and national roads.
Bucharest public transport was snarled by the bad weather, the Bucharest Transport Company (STB) said on X, with officials working to clear snow “from roads, tram lines and and critical areas.”
Meteorologists called it “the most severe episode of this winter”. Over half of the country is under an orange and yellow code for snow and blizzards until noon.
“Red code weather warning for heavy snowfall on 18.02.2026, 4:20 – 8:20. Avoid driving! In case of necessity, use alternative routes communicated by the authorities,” is the message sent by the authorities.
