Severe winter weather disrupts Romania, France and the U.S. East Coast

Heavy snow, strong winds and icy conditions on Saturday again disrupted roads, maritime ports and power supplies across southern and eastern Romania, with emergency teams working to assist stranded residents.

According to the Department for Emergency Situations, emergency services were responding in 16 localities across seven counties and Bucharest, assisting around 75 people stranded in 46 vehicles. While no highways were closed and rail traffic was mostly unaffected, several national roads faced restrictions.

Power outages were reported in 12 localities across five counties, affecting roughly 1,222 consumers.

In Constanta, one runway at the Mihail Kogalniceanu International Airport was closed until 4 p.m. due to icy conditions. While maritime traffic resumed at the Constanta North and South ports, operations at Mangalia, Midia, and Sulina Bara ports in Tulcea County remained suspended.

Romania's National Meteorological Administration (ANM) has issued a Code Yellow warning for strong winds, heavy precipitation and blizzard conditions affecting 16 counties and Bucharest through Sunday morning.

Forecasters said wind gusts of 50 to 60 kilometers per hour, locally reaching 65 to 70 kmh, will impact southern Moldova, Muntenia, the Curvature Carpathians, southeastern Oltenia and Dobrogea.

Precipitation will begin as a mix of rain and snow, creating glazed frost and black ice in some areas, before turning to snow elsewhere. Snow accumulations of 15 to 20 centimeters are expected, with localized precipitation totals of 15 to 30 liters per square meter. Visibility may drop below 100 meters during blizzard conditions.

France struggles with flooding; blizzard warning for New York City

The impact of severe winter weather has also been felt in France, where a persistently wet winter has created widespread challenges. While Storm Pedro, which followed closely behind Storm Nils, was less intense than earlier storms, it brought winds exceeding 113 km/h and up to 50 millimeters of rain to affected areas.

In the midst of a record-breaking wet spell, France's rivers are struggling to handle the heavy rainfall. Orange and red flood alerts – the highest levels of warning – have been issued for more than 30 consecutive days.

However, some relief is expected next week as a high-pressure system moves in, bringing a temporary halt to rainfall in the hardest-hit regions.

Meanwhile, across the U.S. East Coast, a late-winter storm is set to make its way on Sunday through New York City, New Jersey, and other coastal communities. 

Blizzard warnings were issued on Saturday, with snow accumulations expected to reach 1 to 2 feet (about 30 to 60 centimeters) in some areas. This marks the first blizzard warning for New York City since 2017.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned of wind gusts over 90 kmh and potential flooding in parts of New York and New Jersey.

The storm will "make travel dangerous, if not impossible. Scattered downed tree limbs and power outages are possible due to snow load and strong winds," warned the NWS.

Officials in New York City and Atlantic City, New Jersey, have urged residents to stay off the streets during the storm.

(With input from Xinhua)