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Heavy rain has caused flooding in several municipalities in Kosovo, disrupting the electricity and water supplies and blocking roads.

Rainfall over the past two days has caused flooding across several western and central municipalities in Kosovo, disrupting electricity and water supplies, forcing evacuations, and disrupting traffic because of roads being blocked.

The situation is most severe in the municipality of Drenas, where the Drenica River has overflowed, flooding several homes and businesses. Multiple roads in the area are closed and several families living near high-risk zones were evacuated.


The Kosovo Hydrometeorological Institute, IHMK, reported that,"continuous and intense rainfall has led to flooding in several parts of the country", particularly in western Kosovo.

Municipalities affected include Gjakova, Junik, Deçan, Malisheva, Rahovec, Klina and Fushe Kosova, where rivers and streams have overflowed due to sustained precipitation.

The IHMK warned that, "rainfall with varying intensity is expected to continue in the coming days, increasing the risk of flooding, traffic

disruptions, sewer system overloads, and landslides in vulnerable areas".

The IHMK recorded increased water levels in the main Ibër, Sitnica, Lepenc, and Morava e Binçës rivers. Flooding has also affected the electricity network. The Kosovo Electricity Distribution Company, KEDS, said temporary power outages in Drenas, Malisheva, and Rahovec after floodwaters have affected critical infrastructure.

"In Drenas, water penetrated an electrical substation, posing a serious risk to the safe operation of the power grid," KEDS notified.

The water supply has been disrupted in several regions as well. The Shkabaj Water Treatment Plant was taken out of operation due to extremely high turbidity levels in the Ibër-Lepenc canal caused by heavy rainfall.

As a result, the Regional Water Utility Company "Prishtina" has announced water reductions in Fushë Kosovë, Drenas, Obiliq, and parts of the Kalabria neighbourhood in Prishtina. "Additional reductions may affect other parts of the capital," the company said.

Similarly, the Regional Water Company "Mitrovica" temporarily suspended the water supply due to elevated turbidity levels in the same canal.