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While tempests and hurricanes have swirled in the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific east, the continent has experienced extreme conditions of its own. A weather disturbance that emerged over the Mediterranean in the middle of the week moved north-east into the Balkan region on Thursday afternoon, bringing broad downpours, stormy weather and extended rainfall.

Ongoing Rains and Critical Warnings

The low-pressure area is forecast to remain into the end of the week, with weather models suggesting 48-hour period amounts of 80 to 130 millimeters of rain across a large part of the Balkans. Red weather warnings were declared for the nation of Serbia, Romania's southwest, Greece's northeast, and the Aegean island groups, underscoring the danger of floods and threat to life. High winds also shut down classes on Zakynthos in the Ionian sea islands.

Frigid Air Intensifies Severe Conditions

Frigid temperatures brought in from the east added to the seriousness, producing significant snowfalls across the Dinaric Alps, with certain forecasts estimating accumulations of nearly three feet by the coming weekend.

Previous Flooding in Spanish Regions

Earlier in the week, eastern Spain and the Balearic archipelago experienced severe flooding as the leftovers of Hurricane Gabrielle moved across the Iberian peninsula before coming to a halt over the Balearic Sea. The city of Valencia and Ibiza were worst affected; The town of Gandia measured over 350 millimeters in 12 hours – significantly exceeding its September average, while the island had 254mm in one day, its wettest day since at least 1952.

Roads, railway stations, green spaces, and schools were forced to close, while one gauge near the area of Aldaia recorded 57 millimeters in just 35 minutes, resulting in the La Saleta ravine to burst its banks. The floods come nearly one year after destructive floods in the region in 2024 that caused the death of more than 230 people.

Storm Bualoi Hits Vietnam

The powerful typhoon arrived onshore across the central part of Vietnam this past week, causing intense rainfall, strong winds, and large swells. Over 300 millimeters of rainfall was measured within a 24-hour span on Monday morning, causing flash floods and rock slides that blocked more than 3,000 roads and isolated local populations across the northern regions. Dozens of flights were cancelled or delayed, and railway services between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City were stopped.

Officials confirmed 36 deaths and 147 casualties, with 21 individuals still lost. Over 210,000 homes were damaged or flooded, with over 51,000 hectares of rice and other crops ruined. The Vietnamese authorities has calculated that the typhoon has led to over $350 million in economic losses this past week.