Strong winds cause damage across Georgia

Strong winds on Monday night and Tuesday morning have caused a number of problems across Georgia from downed power lines to property damage.

Weather specialists said wind speeds reached as high as 32 km/h and were similar to the strength of a small storm.

The Georgian Emergency Management Centre received more than 50 calls overnight due to problems caused by the extreme weather condition. No people were injured, but property damage was reported in several cities including Tbilisi, Rustavi and Gori.

Outdoor banners in Tbilisi were broken, while in Rustavi and Gori – all in the eastern part of Georgia - roofs were ripped off of several houses and electricity poles and lines were downed leaving hundreds of families without power and shelter.

No people were injured, but property damage was reported in several cities including Tbilisi, Rustavi and Gori. Photo: Georgian Public Broadcaster.

Government officials, including specialists from the Energy Ministry and respective city halls have been visiting different locations to see the situation on the ground and offer assistance to those affected by the weather. All relevant services are on high alert, authorities said. 

The strong wind caused an Istanbul-Tbilisi flight to be canceled. The flight was expected at Tbilisi International Airport at 04:55 am this morning but Turkish Airlines decided to cancel it due to the unstable weather conditions. All other flights took place as scheduled.

Meteorologists said the wind will remain strong during the first half of the day today but will begin weakening by the evening hours.

The Georgian National Environment Agency expects that despite the wind weakening later today, temperature will fall in East Georgia. Air temperature will be +8°C, +13°C. 

Meanwhile light precipitation is expected in several regions from March 22-26. Air temperature in the lowland and plain will be +10°C, +15°C.