The Alpine country of Slovenia is the latest victim of extreme winter weather
LJUBLJANA – A snowstorm with strong winds caused chaos across Slovenia on Monday, with some main roads closed and parts of the country without electricity.
Officials said late Sunday overnight snowfall caused more than a dozen traffic accidents, with downed trees blocking local roads and downing power lines – including in the capital, Ljubljana.
The authorities urged Slovenians not to travel unless absolutely necessary.
The highway connecting the Adriatic coast with Ljubljana was blocked in places due to strong winds. Heavy vehicles are prohibited on the affected roads in the Alpine country.
Meteorologists have predicted that the snowfall will stop by Tuesday.
The snowstorms came alongside strong winds last weekend, prompting firefighters to respond to around 200 calls for help in neighboring Croatia.
Snow also hampered traffic in Croatia on Monday after covering parts of the Adriatic coast and some Croatian islands.
Other Balkan countries struggled last week with flooding caused by downpours. Numerous rivers and streams overflowed throughout the region, flooding homes and farmland and causing landslides.
Authorities in Serbia announced Monday that they have found the body of another victim of last week’s floods in the southwest of the country.
The two men drowned after being swept away by a raging river in the city of Novi Pazar. — Euronews