site.btaNew Cold Wave Grips Romania, 15 Centimetres of Snow in Bucharest

Monday morning was a cold and snowy one for Bucharest, with a temperature of  minus 15C and a snow cover of 15 centimetres that caused transport issues. 

"Out of all of Romania, excluding the mountainous areas, Bucharest had the most snowfall on Sunday night. It snowed for several hours without interruption," reported the National Meteorological Administration. More snowfall is expected by the end of the day, and even lower temperatures on Tuesday.

Despite the difficult conditions, air traffic at Bucharest's airports is operating without interruption. Not a single flight has been cancelled due to weather conditions, airport authorities said in a statement sent to the BTA. Some flights are experiencing minor delays due to the need to de-ice the aircraft, which airlines are doing after passengers have boarded, the source said.

A yellow code for low temperatures is in effect for half of Romania on Monday. The warning covers Moldova, Dobruja, Oltenia, Muntenia, eastern and southeastern Transylvania, where the temperature is expected to drop to minus 20C. The coldest place on Sunday night was Botosani in the eastern part of the country, where temperatures reached minus 15C.

Due to the bad weather, a truck loaded with goods overturned on a road in Olt. The driver, a 45-year-old man, did not see the road signs due to low visibility, local media reported. 

There was also an accident in Mehedinti. Five people were taken to hospital after a collision between a van and a snowplow. A 60-year-old man was taken to the St. Spiridon Emergency Hospital in the northeastern Romanian city of Iasi after being found suffering from severe hypothermia, Agerpres reports.

More than 90 people have been rescued in the last 24 hours by mountain rescuers, 22 of whom were transported by ambulance to a hospital. In two cases, a helicopter was requested from the Romanian emergency service SMURD.