Hailstorm and Wildfires Devastate Croatia and Serbia

Belgrade (Serbia), Jul 8 (AP) A devastating hailstorm wreaked havoc in Croatia on Tuesday, tearing through trees and ripping off roofs, while in neighboring Serbia, hundreds of wildfires blazed amidst a spell of extreme heat in the Balkan region.

A swift but intense storm struck Croatia's Adriatic port of Split on Tuesday morning. Ferocious winds and hailstones caused extensive damage, including the roof of the city's soccer stadium, while a ferry, dislodged from its moorings by the storm, collided with two other vessels, sinking one.

At least three individuals sustained injuries, with significant material damage reported across the city. Croatian media circulated images of uprooted trees and inundated streets. According to the Index news portal, both the offices and the pitch of Split's Poljud stadium suffered damage, along with its roof. The Split meteorological service pointed out that "such storms are usual after a long period of heat with extremely hot days." Prior to this event, Croatia and the broader Balkan region endured a heatwave with temperatures soaring past 40 degrees Celsius. Meteorologists indicated that the storms heralded cooler days ahead, with temperatures anticipated to fall to approximately 20 degrees Celsius in some locales.

The Slovenian weather service reported snowfall at higher altitudes in the Alps on Tuesday, while the remainder of the nation was pummeled by heavy rainfall and hail.

In Serbia, firefighters contended with over 600 wildfires on Monday, leading to injuries for six individuals. The country, suffering from a severe drought this summer, encountered threats to crops and imposed restrictions on drinking water supplies nationwide. Late Monday, Serbian police cautioned residents to exercise heightened caution, as the dry, hot conditions heightened wildfire risks. Emergency measures were declared in at least three southern municipalities due to the fires.

"Many villages were threatened. We have numerous burnt and damaged properties, but we successfully saved many," senior emergency official Nedeljko Gagic stated on state-run RTS television.

Serbia's meteorological institute also sounded warnings regarding low water levels in the nation's two largest rivers, the Danube and the Sava, as well as in smaller ones. Experts attribute these extreme weather conditions to climate change. Reports of extremely hot weather and wildfires across Europe surfaced in early July. (AP)

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