Severe floods force evacuations in southern Albania and Montenegro

Heavy rain caused the Vjosa River to burst its banks near Novosela in Albania's Vlorë region, triggering evacuation orders and the use of inflatable boats to reach residents trapped by water up to 1.5 metres deep, including two elderly occupants. Emergency services reported one death—a 54-year-old man found in a Durrës irrigation canal after being carried away by floodwaters—and are working to clear water from approximately 800 buildings, while about 300 people have been placed in temporary shelters.

Across the border, the Zeta River flooded residential areas in Danilovgrad, Montenegro, impacting around 30 homes and nearby villages. Near Podgorica, military personnel and engineers constructed a temporary pontoon bridge to replace a crossing destroyed by the torrent, and excavators cleared drainage channels to restore transport routes. The floods followed several days of intense winter weather across the Balkans, with parts of Albania receiving over 100 millimetres of rain in 24 hours and officials warning of further snowfall and icy conditions.