Powerful storm hits Romania, one person killed

BUCHAREST, July 1 - A powerful storm tore through the Romanian capital Bucharest and 20 counties on Wednesday, killing one person and damaging dozens of homes and vehicles, emergency services officials said.

In Bucharest alone, nearly 2,000 calls for help were reported, emergency services told broadcaster Digi24. Several metro stations were flooded.

Outside the capital, the storm wrought damage in 60 towns and villages. One person was killed when a tree fell on their vehicle.

Police and firefighters were deployed across several counties, evacuating flooded homes and clearing debris.

The storm was preceded by a heat wave, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the country on Monday and Tuesday, boosting power consumption and raising electricity prices. REUTERS