Storms that swept the Balkans killed at least two people in Albania, injured dozens in North Macedonia and caused major damage to crops in Bosnia, authorities said Wednesday.
The storms overnight Tuesday to Wednesday followed weeks of heatwaves and intense drought across central Europe.
An electrician was killed in Himara, on Albania's southern coast, while attempting to repair a power line damaged by the storm.
Police said they had found the body of a 61-year-old fisherman in the southern region of Saranda. The storm capsized his boat, local media reported.
Three people were hospitalised in Saranda with injuries from falling trees and broken glass, according to media.
In Bosnia, the southern region of Herzegovina was the hardest-hit, notably around Nevesinje. The town's mayor Milenko Avdalovic said the storm caused "enormous damage" to crops.
"In the villages hit by the storm ... our farmers will have practically nothing left to harvest," he said.
"The storm swept everything away," he told public television RTRS, referring to fields of potatoes, onions and cabbages, as well as orchards.
Winds gusting up to 134 kilometres (83 miles) per hour hit nearly all of North Macedonia.
In Skopje, more than 30 people were injured, while 100 vehicles were damaged and 189 trees were brought down, authorities said.
The presidency building, several ministries and the airport suffered damage.
Scientists warn that extreme weather events are likely to become more frequent and intense globally as the planet continues to warm due to fossil fuel emissions.
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