Spring storm sweeps Croatia with hail, flooding and snow

A powerful storm swept across large parts of Croatia on Tuesday, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, hail and even snow, while keeping emergency services busy throughout the day.

Zagreb’s emergency 112 center received hundreds of calls reporting fallen trees blocking roads, downed power lines and damaged roofs.

“Since around 11 a.m., when the storm began, firefighters carried out around 70 interventions in Zagreb, mostly removing trees and branches from roads, power lines and vehicles. There were also several cases where we had to remove parts of roofs, fences and similar fallen objects,” said Siniša Jembrih, chief of the Zagreb Fire Department.

A few minor injuries were reported, while temperatures inland plunged by more than 10 degrees within hours.

Meteorologist Zoran Vakula said the storm was unusual because winds in the interior were stronger than those on the coast.

“There were multiple extreme wind gusts — 25 meters per second in Maksimir and around 20 meters per second elsewhere — which is significant for continental Croatia and Zagreb,” Vakula said.

The storm struck just two months after another severe windstorm caused major property damage and felled thousands of trees across Zagreb and its suburbs.

“It was awful. I’m traumatized from these storms. It’s not as bad as last time, but it’s still a disaster,” Zagreb resident Aleksandra told HRT.

Northern Croatia was also hit hard, with hailstorms raising concerns among farmers about crop damage.

Amalka Vukelić, who runs a small farm in Gornji Kneginec near Varaždin, said the sudden temperature drop was the biggest shock.

“This is typical spring weather, but in the 15 years we’ve lived here we’ve never seen such a dramatic drop in temperature — it fell by 18 degrees in a single morning,” she said.

Moslavina was also battered by hail and strong winds, with streets turning white as ice covered the ground.

Snow fell on Zavižan and at the Plitvice Lakes National Park, covering the landscape in white. Temperatures are expected to drop below freezing overnight.

Meteorologists say another spell of unstable weather is expected toward the end of the week.