Bucharest received more than 92% of its average monthly June rainfall in just 10 hours during the powerful overnight storm that hit the Romanian capital, according to data released on Wednesday, July 1, by water utility Apa Nova and cited by Agerpres. The rainfall overwhelmed parts of the city’s drainage system as emergency crews continued responding to flooding caused by one of the most intense weather events in recent years.
Between 7:30 p.m. on June 30 and 5:30 a.m. on July 1, the average amount of rainfall across Bucharest reached 69.9 liters per square meter, compared with the city’s long-term June average of 75.9 liters per sqm recorded at the Bucharest-Filaret weather station.
Apa Nova said the storm affected the entire city, with the heaviest rainfall recorded in central and northern Bucharest. In some areas, precipitation reached or exceeded levels associated with a once-in-100-years weather event.
The heavy rainfall generated a peak flow of more than 208 cubic meters per second through Bucharest’s sewerage system, a volume the company said is comparable to the average flow of major Romanian rivers such as the Olt, Mureș and Siret. More than 4.3 million cubic meters of water also passed through the city’s wastewater collector.
To manage the impact of the storm, Apa Nova deployed 212 specialists, supported by 36 sewer cleaning vehicles, 42 utility vehicles, and 28 pumping units.
The overnight storm caused widespread disruption across the Bucharest-Ilfov area, flooding roads and parts of the subway network, toppling hundreds of trees, and leaving one person dead. Authorities said emergency services had received nearly 2,000 calls by Wednesday morning, while the National Meteorological Administration issued 11 successive weather forecasts and warnings for the capital during the event, including orange and red severe weather alerts.
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)
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