Strong Wind and Rain in Central and Eastern Southern Europe

Affected by a cutoff low vortex, significant wind and rain weather is expected in the central and eastern parts of Southern Europe from March 31 to April 2. Heavy to torrential rain is forecasted for central and southern Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, southern Serbia, North Macedonia, southern Bulgaria, Greece, northern Tunisia, northern Algeria, and western Turkey, with localized extremely heavy downpours. The cumulative precipitation in these areas is expected to range from 30 to 60 mm, with parts of southeastern Italy, central and southern Greece, and southwestern Turkey receiving 80 to 100 mm, and some localized areas exceeding 120 mm (Figures 1-2). Additionally, these regions will experience winds of 4 to 6 on the Beaufort scale, with gusts of 7 to 9, and coastal areas may see gusts exceeding 10 (Figure 3). Furthermore, Algeria, Libya, and Egypt will face blowing sand or dust, with sandstorms in some areas. Attention should be given to the potential secondary disasters caused by heavy rainfall, such as flash floods and urban flooding, as well as the adverse effects of sand and dust.

Figure 1: Forecast of 500 hPa Geopotential Height (contours, units: dagpm) and 850 hPa Wind Field (wind barbs, units: m/s) at 1200 UTC on April 1, 2026

Figure 2: Accumulated Precipitation from 0000 UTC March 31 to 0000 UTC April 3, 2026 (Shaded, Units: mm)

Figure 3: Forecast of Maximum Gust Wind Speed from 1200 UTC March 31, 2026, to 1200 UTC April 1, 2026 (Units: m/s)

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Author: Kong Linghan                                Reviewer: Liu Xiaobo 

English reviewer:Wang Yi                                                                       Issue approver:Dai Kan