A storm warning for Wednesday evening, September 20, has brought chaos to Bucharest streets, where traffic was extremely congested in the afternoon.

Many parents got out earlier from work to pick up their children from school as Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea asked that education units close earlier due to the storm. Many of them parked illegally and blocked a traffic lane making it even more difficult for the other drivers, according to Bucharest Police representatives quoted by local Mediafax.

Romania’s state weather service ANM issued a code yellow warning for storm and wind valid in Bucharest and several other counties, on Wednesday evening between 7 PM and 3 AM. The wind is expected to blow with up to 55-65 kmph and the rainfall will reach 25 to 35 liters per sqm in less than two hours.

Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea has asked Bucharesters to stay indoors and ordered several other measures to prevent people from being injured by falling trees or other objects that may be blown away by the storm.

According to the mayor, the areas most affected by the storm will be those in Eastern Bucharest, including Baneasa, Colentina, Andronache, and Tei, and those in South-Western Bucharest, namely Militari, Drumul Taberei, Rahova, Salaj, Ferentari, 13 Septembrie, according to Ziarul Financiar.

However, the mayor called for calm and said there was no reason to increase the storm alert to code orange in Bucharest. She added that the most affected

The authorities are extra cautious after eight people died and more than 140 were injured in the weekend when a severe storm hit Western Romania.

editor@romania-insider.com