Four die after torrential rain floods parts of Romania

Four people have died in eastern Romania after torrential rainstorms left scores of people stranded in flooded areas, emergency authorities have said.

Rescue services scrambled to save 95 people in the hard-hit eastern counties of Galati and Vaslui.

The bodies of three elderly women and two men were found in the localities of Pechea, Draguseni, Costache Negri, and Corod, the Department for Emergency Situations said.

Authorities added that it was determined that one of the people had been dead for two days and “did not die due to the effects of the weather”, but from other causes.

Emergency authorities released video footage which showed a team of rescuers evacuating an elderly man on a small lifeboat before carrying him to safety.

The storms battered 19 localities in eight counties in Romania, with strong winds downing dozens of trees that damaged cars and blocked roads and traffic.

Authorities sent text message alerts to residents to warn them of adverse weather as emergency services rushed to remove floodwaters from homes. Some roads have also been closed.

Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu cancelled planned engagements on Saturday to travel to Galati county to assess the fallout.

“The Prime Minister will discuss with the local authorities the urgent intervention and support measures for the population and communities severely affected by the floods,” his office said.

The stormy weather comes as several central European nations anticipate severe flooding forecast to hit the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary over the weekend.

In the Czech Republic, river waters reached dangerous levels in dozens of areas across the country on Saturday morning, flooding houses and roads in several towns and villages. Heavy rain and high winds left more than 63,000 households without power, the Czech power company CEZ said.

Heavy rain also hit Moldova on Saturday, where emergency workers pumped floodwater from dozens of peoples’ homes in several localities, authorities said.

Meteorologists say a low-pressure system from northern Italy was predicted to dump much rainfall in most parts of the Czech Republic, including the capital and border regions with Austria and Germany in the south, and Poland in the north.

“We have to be ready for worst-case scenarios,” Czech prime minister Petr Fiala said after the government’s central crisis committee met. “A tough weekend is ahead of us.”

In Poland, prime minister Donald Tusk also travelled on Friday to the south-western city of Wroclaw where floods are forecast.

Authorities appealed to residents to stock up on food and to prepare for power outages by charging power banks.

The weather change arrived following a hot start to September in the region, including in Romania. Scientists have documented Earth’s hottest summer, breaking a record set just one year ago.

A hotter atmosphere, driven by human-caused climate change, can lead to more intense rainfall.