Torrential rains cause damage in several cities/ Resumption of classes postponed throughout Kosovo

2026-01-07 19:12:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Torrential rains cause damage in several cities/ Resumption of classes postponed

Torrential rains over the past few days have triggered floods in large parts of Kosovo, causing material damage and forcing authorities to postpone the resumption of classes after the winter break for several days.

Heavy rainfall in recent days brought flooding, causing damage to property and infrastructure, evacuations, and road closures on Tuesday. The severe weather has not caused any deaths or injuries, authorities said Wednesday.

The rain stopped on Wednesday but resumed late in the afternoon. The flooding situation in the country remains "dynamic" in several municipalities, including Prizren, as the Drini i Bardhë River overflowed its banks, the Emergency Management Agency (AME) said on Facebook.

"In the rest of the country, the situation is stable and under continuous monitoring," she said.

But the agency warned that the situation could worsen if more rain falls, "however, the current risk is assessed as manageable, with sufficient response capacities."

Meanwhile, the National Institute of Public Health announced on Wednesday that floods have caused drinking water problems in several parts of the country, such as Pristina, Prizren, Suhareka, Malisheva, Kamenica, Vitia, Deçan, Klina and Mitrovica.

The institute said it will monitor and assess the quality of drinking water in cooperation with regional water utilities due to the turbulence caused by the floods.

Earlier, the acting Minister of Education, Arbërie Nagavci, announced that classes - scheduled to resume today - have been postponed to Monday, January 12.

"The Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation is in constant communication with all Municipal Education Directorates and, based on information received from the field, it has been determined that the start of the teaching process scheduled for Thursday is impossible," Nagavci wrote on Facebook.

She announced that the hours missed on Thursday and Friday will be replaced during the second half of the 2025/2026 school year for all levels of pre-university education.

The consequences of floods

Fushë Kosova, Malisheva, Rahovec, Klina, Mitrovica, Vushtrri, Skenderaj and Gjakova are the municipalities most affected by the floods, according to the EMA. In addition to property damage, there were also evacuations of residents from their homes in these parts of the country.

The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, thanked the institutions for their response to the floods to protect "life and property".

"The situation requires maximum caution. I call on citizens to show vigilance and strictly respect the instructions of the competent institutions. Close cooperation and professional response remain crucial for successfully dealing with this situation ," she wrote on Facebook.

Osmani said that the Kosovo Security Force is ready to provide support "if the need arises."

Flooding on several roads caused the Electricity Distribution Company (KEDS) to cut off power in Drenas, Malisheva and Rahovec on Tuesday.

In Drenas, KEDS said that "water has penetrated the substation, posing a serious risk to the safe operation of the electrical network."

Later, authorities announced that electricity supply was restored after creating safe conditions for KEDS intervention.

On social media, residents, municipal officials, and local media from various cities have published photos and videos showing the flooding.

The Mayor of Skenderaj, Sami Lushtaku, has published several photos from his visits to flooded neighborhoods and said that emergency teams have been engaged in the field since midnight on Tuesday.

"Last night's rainfall, which continues today, has brought flooding to several areas of the Municipality of Skenderaj, causing difficulties for a number of families," Lushtaku wrote on Facebook.

He then said that the situation is currently "under control". Kosovo has faced floods in recent years, which have mainly caused material damage. It is estimated that damage to river beds, as a result of illegal gravel extraction, contributes greatly to the flooding of areas. /REL