Torrential rains and strong winds/ Bad weather makes a 'namin' in the neighboring country, casualties are reported

Two people have died after strong winds battered neighboring Bulgaria and Romania on Saturday and Sunday. Rain and snowfall caused power outages and blocked or flooded roads in the east of both countries, prompting Bulgaria to declare a state of emergency in the Varna region on the Black Sea.

A 43-year-old woman died after being hit by a falling tree in Varna on Saturday evening, while two emergency responders were also injured, police said in a statement. A tree fell on a passing car in Sofia on Saturday, killing the 65-year-old driver and seriously injuring his wife, authorities said. "Bad weather resulted in loss of life. Strong winds and torrential rains, in some places even snowfall, made the work of emergency teams very difficult," Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev said on Sunday, announcing the declaration of a state of emergency and becoming calling on residents to stay in their homes.

"Energy supplies have been interrupted in five districts of the municipality. The roads are blocked because of the trees that have fallen", he added. The airport in Varna remains open, but some flights have been postponed or cancelled. Two smaller municipalities near Varna have also declared a state of emergency on Sunday.

Bulgaria's national weather service activated code orange due to the risk of strong winds across eastern Bulgaria on Sunday, warning that winds could reach up to 125 kilometers per hour and waves could reach more than 5 meters along the coast. Black Sea. The same storm also hit neighboring Romania, which forced the country to close its ports on the Black Sea. Romania's national weather service has raised the weather alert to the highest level due to heavy rain and strong winds. Authorities have called on residents to stay indoors.

Thousands of households were left without electricity, as firefighters intervened to remove 140 trees that fell. 40 cars were also damaged by the bad weather. "Fortunately, there are no victims", officials from the emergency services in Romania told AFP. Two people died earlier in the month in Bulgaria due to bad weather as Storm Ciaran hit western Europe. Scientists have warned that the world will face more extreme weather due to global warming caused by the release of greenhouse gases.