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.
