The storms battered 19 localities in eight counties in Romania, with strong winds downing dozens of trees that damaged cars and blocked roads and traffic.

At least four people died and thousands of homes were damaged by flooding in eastern Romania on Saturday, officials said, as surging river levels put authorities on alert in much of central and eastern Europe following days of torrential rain.

A low-pressure system named 'Boris' caused the worst flooding in more than two decades from Romania to Poland over the past week, and also affected Italy's Emilia-Romagna region. Seven people were killed each in Poland and Romania,