The sewer system of Bucharest carried a volume of water equivalent to the flow of the Mureș River on October 2 and 3, when the city was hit by heavy rainfall. According to an analysis by Apa Nova, the total amount of water represented over 40% of Lake Morii’s storage capacity, and in less than two hours on the evening of October 3, the rainfall amounted to 50% of the city’s average precipitation for the entire month of October. The company reported 500 interventions following public alerts, and by Saturday morning, traffic in Bucharest had returned to normal.

“Between October 2, 2025, at 07:15, and October 3, 2025, at 23:57, three major rain events were recorded, totaling 52.47 liters per square meter, including 22.2 l/m² between 18:45 and 20:30 on October 3. The multiannual average for October (1961–2024), measured at the Bucharest–Filaret Station, is 44.3 l/m², meaning that in just 1 hour and 45 minutes, about 50% of the average monthly rainfall fell, and over the entire 40-hour period, more than 118% of the monthly average,” Apa Nova stated in its report covering October 2, 07:00 – October 4, 06:00.

During this time, the National Meteorological Administration issued eight forecasts and warnings for Bucharest, including general advisories, special forecasts, and orange and yellow alerts for strong winds and significant rainfall.

“Starting Thursday morning (October 2), rain areas gradually expanded from the southwest across the entire country. Large volumes of water were expected, between 25 and 50 l/m², and in southern regions even over 70–90 l/m²,” meteorologists noted.

Apa Nova added that the rainfall was evenly distributed across Bucharest, resulting in a maximum discharge of over 200 cubic meters per second through the sewer system — comparable to the average annual flow of major Romanian rivers, such as the Mureș (184 m³/s), Olt (177 m³/s), or Siret (220 m³/s). The total water volume exceeded 6 million cubic meters, representing over 40% of Lake Morii’s capacity.

Thanks to the prompt intervention of Apa Nova teams, all 500 reports and requests for assistance from residents and authorities were addressed, and by the early hours of October 4, the city had returned to normal, with no further traffic disruptions, the company concluded.

Written by News.ro