Apocalyptic storm strikes eastern Croatia, leaving chaos in its wake
The eastern part of Croatia was struck by a storm and heavy hail on Thursday, creating apocalyptic scenes around Slavonski Brod and in the city itself. Cars were seen floating down streets that had turned into rivers, reports "Jutarnji list" on Friday, noting that similar storms were expected again that day.
The city's authorities in Slavonia reported that water had inundated 30 basements, with streets and sidewalks blocked by trees toppled by the strong wind.
The newspaper added that firefighters were quick to remove the debris and started pumping water from the yards of detached homes around Slavonski Brod and within the city itself.
A severe storm brings hail
The storm began in the afternoon in Slavonski Brod. Along with the significant rainfall, the city experienced hail that "blanketed the ground in white," as reported by Croatian media.
"Rivers formed on the city streets, and water still covers the meadows and fields in the eastern part of Croatia," the Jutarnji list describes.
The floodwaters and submerged underpasses isolated some parts of the city. According to the newspaper, rescue teams and firefighters began their interventions almost immediately after the rainfall began.
Meteorologist Bojan Lipovszciak predicts that the weather will only start to clear by Saturday evening.
"Sunday will already be sunny across most of the country, with the warm weather expected to last until next Thursday. That's when we'll see another dip in temperatures, along with more rainfall and storms," the expert explained.