Weather tracker: wet conditions raise risk of flooding in south-eastern Europe

While storms and hurricanes have churned in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, Europe has faced extreme conditions of its own. A low-pressure system that developed over the Mediterranean midweek moved north-east into south-eastern Europe on Thursday, bringing widespread showers, thunderstorms and prolonged rainfall.

The system is expected to persist into Friday, with models on indicating 48-hour totals of 80-130mm of rain across much of the Balkans. Red weather warnings were issued for Serbia, south-west Romania, north-east Greece, and the Dodecanese and North Aegean Islands, highlighting the risk of flooding and threat to life. Strong winds also closed schools on Zakynthos in the Ionian Islands.

Cold air drawn in from eastern Europe added to the severity, producing heavy snowfall across the Dinaric Alps, with some models forecasting depths of up to 80cm by the weekend.

Earlier in the week, eastern Spain and the Balearics endured severe flooding as the remnants of Hurricane Gabrielle crossed the Iberian peninsula before stalling over the Balearic Sea. Valencia and Ibiza were worst affected; Gandia recorded 356.8mm in 12 hours – more than 10 times its September average – while Ibiza had 254mm in 24 hours, its wettest day since at least 1952.

Roads, train stations, parks, and schools were forced to close, while one gauge near Aldaia measured 57mm in 35 minutes, causing the La Saleta ravine to overflow. The floods come almost a year after devastating inundations in Valencia in 2024 that killed more than 230 people.

Typhoon Bualoi made landfall across central Vietnam this week, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and huge sea swells. More than 300mm of rainfall was recorded within a 24-hour period on Monday, causing flash floods and landslides that blocked more than 3,000 roads and isolated communities across northern provinces. Dozens of flights were cancelled or delayed, and railway services between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City were suspended.

There have been 36 deaths and 147 injuries recorded, with 21 people still missing. More than 210,000 houses were damaged or flooded, with more than 51,000 hectares (126,000 acres) of rice and other crops destroyed. Vietnam’s government has estimated Bualoi has caused more than $350m(£260m) in property damage this week.