Serbia to get "month's worth of rain in two days"

Serbia to get "month's worth of rain in two days"

BELGRADE -- Serbia could face a fresh wave of flooding in the coming days, as forecasters said a month's worth of rain "or more" was expected to fall in the next two days.

In addition, temperatures are expected to drop significantly, while mountain areas in the country and elsewhere in the region could yet see more snow this May.

With this in mind, MUP Emergency Situations Sector chief Predrag Marić has ordered local self-governments to be on full alert for the next 72 hours.

Rain spread overnight from western and southwestern parts to the rest of the country, the state meteorological authority, RHMZ, said.

RHMZ's Slobodan Sovilj told reporters that today, between 20 and 50 liters of rain was expected to fall per square meter, "and locally even more."

"Add to that the same amount on Thursday, and the rain that will fall in these two days will be equal or greater than a month's amount of rainfall," he explained.

Sovilj added that bad weather would continue until the end of the week, with Friday still cloudy and cold but with less precipitation, while local showers and thunderstorms are expected on Saturday.

Only next week, he said, Serbia will see "at least three days of mostly sunny weather."

Floods that affected several parts on Serbia in April caused damage to crops, road infrastructure, and homes.