Now SNOWSTORM hits parts of Europe dumping up to 20inches as state of emergency declared after rain hits hols hotspots

A SNOWSTORM has left thousands without power as another burst of wild weather hits Europe.

Heavy flurries of ice and snow have wreaked havoc across the mountainous regions in the Balkans – downing trees and power lines.

AP

AP

AP

Tourists visiting the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo have been left astonished by the freezing temperatures.

One visitor, Sandra Majstorovic, told The Independent: “We came here in flip-flops and now we need boots and jackets.”

And the extreme weather also hit across the border in Serbia, where a state of emergency was declared for some regions.

Electricity lines were downed in both countries by the snowstorm, leaving thousands without power.

The freak weather bomb comes at the end of a week of wild conditions elsewhere in Europe.

Greece, Spain, Italy and Bulgaria all saw rainstorms turn roads into rivers – and with devastation hitting the hols island of Ibiza.

Pictures and videos of the extreme elements show parts of the Balkans whited out with stunning arctic-like landscapes.

Some 20 inches of snow was dumped on southern Serbia.

Meteorologist Slobodan Sovilj, from the state Hydrometeorological Service, suggesting the snowfall could reach record levels for October.

Drivers in Bosnia have been warned to be extra careful, with authorities encouraging them to make the switch to winter tyres a month before they become obligatory.

Meanwhile, in Serbia, several municipalities declared a state of emergency to deal with the ongoing snowstorm.

Aleksandar Mitrovic, head of the Ivanjica municipality, in central Serbia, said: “We have a number of areas without electricity because of broken trees and branches that fell on power lines.”

The southwestern municipalities of Medvedja and Crna Trava were left also without drinking water and phone connection.

While citizens of the Balkans may be used to colder conditions, this premature glimpse of winter marks a stark contrast to the scorching weather they would have experienced just a few weeks ago.

In September, the region reached temperatures of up to 30 degrees Celsius, ten degrees shy of the 40 mark which became the norm during the summer’s heat waves.

Unsurprisingly, this quick climate shift has caught a number of these areas off guard.

Villages across Serbia and Bosnia have suffered power outages as a result of wet snow, while many roads and mountain passes have also been closed to the public.

Furthermore, the national railway company reported significant train delays and cancellations, due to the damaged caused to overhead power lines.

However, residents across the Balkans are not alone in their weather troubles.

AP

AP

AP

Earlier this week, extreme rainfall swept across the coast of southeastern Bulgaria, sparking floods which have left at least three people dead.

Towns have been overwhelmed by filthy torrents of water as the horror weather grips the countryside.

The floods have swept away cars and caravans into the sea whilst also overcoming houses, hotels and campsites.

On Friday, authorities said that hundreds of people were forced to evacuate their homes.

Public transport has also ground to a halt due to the extreme weather, with both the army and navy deploying rescue teams to assist those in the flooded areas.

Staggering aerial vids show full devastation of Ibiza floods

By Patrick Harrington

STAGGERING aerial videos reveal the full devastation of brutal floods that swamped Ibiza after a biblical downpour.

Cars and debris were strewn around the streets by gushing floodwater and a landslide crashed through a hotel – but the clean-up has now begun.

Footage from a cop chopper shows the vast sea-front promenades totally submerged in brown floodwater, which gushes over into the sea.

Locals can be seen battling through the depths as rubbish and muck sail through streets on the current.

Parked cars are submerged up to their bonnets – with some clearly flooded beyond repair.

Passengers arriving from a ferry can be seen having to wade through deep water, holding their luggage aloft to avoid it being drenched.

An “extraordinary danger” red alert was slapped on the island on Tuesday as the tail of Storm Gabrielle brushed over the Balearics.

Vast areas of eastern Spain were also battered by floods, as well as the island of Sicily across the Med.

Spain was forced to draft in the army and police reinforcements to help guide Ibiza through the treacherous floods.

READ MORE HERE