In Croatia, due to heavy snowfall and gusty winds, roads from Dalmatia to the interior and vice versa have been closed to traffic since yesterday. Hundreds of stranded people spent the night in rest areas on the closed A1 highway and in emergency shelters organized in several cities, Croatian media reported.
At the beginning of the week there was no relaxation, the roads in the Lika and Gorski Kotar regions remained closed. The Croatian Automobile Club announced that in the late morning the motor vehicles were being organized into convoys to accompany them on the journey to Dalmatia. Authorities warned to avoid unnecessary travel.
Up to 70 centimeters of fresh snow
In the mountainous regions of Lika and Gorski Kotar there was heavy snowfall yesterday, in some places up to 70 centimeters of fresh snow fell. In addition, storm squalls and hurricanes with speeds of up to 150 km/h obstructed traffic.
In addition to the road service, the fire department and mountain rescue services helped countless people who were trapped in the streets with their vehicles. According to reports, around 25 vehicles that ignored the driving ban got stuck on the A1 in the Sveti Rok Tunnel last night.
Hundreds slept in emergency shelters
More than 500 people spent the night in organized shelters in Gracac, Gospic, Obrovac and Knin, reported the N1 news portal. Due to the strong wind, many ferry connections in the Rijeka, Kvarner and Dalmatia areas were also disrupted. The Croatian meteorological service has issued warnings for strong gusts of wind towards the coast today.