Bucharest prepares for Wednesday evening storm

The weather in Bucharest will start to change around mid-day on Wednesday, September 20, and the strong winds could turn into a storm during the evening, the National Meteorology Agency (ANM) said. The critical interval for the capital is expected between 20:00 and 03:00, when the wind can reach speeds of 55 – 65 km per hour and turn into a storm. The rainfall is expected to reach 25 liters per sqm or up to 35 liters per sqm in certain neighborhoods of the capital, all within a short time, of under two hours. The Bucharest mayor, Gabriela Firea, has asked the capital’s inhabitants to stay indoors after 20:00 on Wednesday because of the expected weather phenomena. The mayor asked that the trees are trimmed so branches or they wouldn’t fall down because of the wind. She also requested that advertising billboards are checked and asked the local Police to talk to heads of Bucharest construction sites to have the equipment that could cause problems during the storm put to safety. Terrace owners were asked to mind their clients’ safety and mind that the umbrellas and light rooftops are not blown away. The electricity and lighting providers in Bucharest were also asked to check that their electricity poles are firmly anchored. The mayor also proposed that Bucharest schools end their schedule on Wednesday at 17:00, Mediafax reported. Mihaela Ciho, a deputy general school inspector, said she sent an informative note to all Bucharest education units regarding the weather warning. The requests of the Bucharest mayor come after cities in Western Romania have seen serious damage in the storms of Sunday, September 17. Timisoara and Arad were particularly hit by the storm, where the powerful winds put trees and billboards to the ground, overturned trucks and damaged the electricity network. Eight people died and 145 were injured in the storms in the Western part of the country. The meteorologists have issued a weather warning from September 19 to September 21, at 23:00, when they expect the weather to be unstable, heavy rainfall, lighting and hail. The weather was expected to be unstable in mountain areas, in Northern Romania, and in Transylvania, but also in areas of the regions of Oltenia, Muntenia and Banat throughout Tuesday, September 19, and Wednesday, September 20. On Wednesday, the meteorologists issued another weather warning. The counties of Dâmboviţa, Prahova, Buzău, Vrancea and Bacău are under an orange code warning for strong weather instability. Rainfall is expected to exceed 70 liters per sqm here. The rest of the country is under a yellow code warning for storms with heavy rainfall and hail. Constanţa and Tulcea are the only two counties in the country exempt from the warnings. The warning was issued for Wednesday, starting 11:00 until Thursday, at 21:00. Emergency warning system is Govt. priority after storms sweep across Romania