Severe storm hits northwest Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hail and strong gusts damaged crops and buildings in the Potkozarje–Banja Luka area; thunderstorms and heavy rain were forecast for the afternoon.
Strong winds and hail struck northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina today, leaving visible damage to agricultural fields and some buildings in the Potkozarje area and around Banja Luka.
During the afternoon the storm system brought heavy rain and gusty winds into the Banja Luka and Laktaši districts, expanding the area affected by the severe weather.
Local disruption
In Prnjavor, about 40 kilometres from Banja Luka, several streets were left without electricity as crews began assessing the outages. Early accounts from the region describe blown-off roofs and flattened crops in exposed rural areas.
The Republic Hydrometeorological Institute issued a forecast warning of thunderstorms for the afternoon hours and said that some places could see heavy rainfall.
Municipal services and emergency teams in the affected municipalities have started damage assessment and restoration work, prioritizing power lines and roads. Farmers in the Potkozarje plain reported significant losses to field crops where hail was heaviest.
Photo: Evgeni Dinev / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
