29 January 2026
In Kosovo, floods are becoming increasingly frequent, primarily as a result of meteorological conditions (high-intensity rainfall over short periods and rapid snowmelt), followed by geomorphological factors. Most watercourses originate or are formed in higher-altitude areas, from where water flows rapidly in the form of torrential streams. Therefore, only certain rivers, or sections of them, such as the Sitnica River, the Ibër River, and the middle and lower reaches of the White Drin, due to their lowland characteristics, flood more slowly because of the surface area, location, terrain configuration, and other factors.
In Kosovo, over a five-year period, we experienced higher-scale flooding in 2021 and 2023, as well as recently, from 5 to 8 January 2026. The latter events were of a magnitude corresponding to a 50-year hydrological return period, particularly in the western part of the country, namely the White Drin basin.
The Hydrometeorological Institute of Kosovo (HMIK), through its Meteorology Sector, currently monitors 24 Automatic Meteorological Stations and 35 Automatic Rain Gauges. These systems monitor meteorological parameters such as air temperature (T°C), precipitation (mm) and precipitation intensity (mm/h), atmospheric pressure (hPa), air humidity (%), evaporation (mm), solar radiation (W/m²), wind speed (m/s), wind direction (°), and, at some stations, soil temperature at depths of 5, 10, 20, 30, 50 and 100 cm. Real-time data on precipitation, temperatures and other meteorological parameters are transmitted via GPRS to the central server in Prishtina, where they are subsequently processed, analyzed, published and exchanged internationally through platforms of the European Union and others.
As a result of heavy rainfall followed by snowmelt (particularly in higher mountainous areas), flooding initially occurred in the western part (Dukagjin Plain), the central part (some areas of the Kosovo Plain and Drenica), and subsequently across most of the country. Kosovo’s main rivers, including the White Drin (mainly its middle and lower reaches), Erenik, Mirusha, Toplluha, Deçan Bistrica, Klina River, Sitnica, Drenica, Ibër and others, together with their tributaries, recorded rapid and significant rises in water levels and flows from 5 to 8 January 2026.
From 8 January 2026 to 10 January 2026 at 00:00, an average of 41.3 mm (l/m²) of precipitation was recorded across the territory of the Republic of Kosovo. Meanwhile, from 1 to 10 January 2026, the average precipitation recorded in Kosovo amounted to 124.1 mm, which was 64.9 mm, or 50.6%, higher than the average January precipitation for the period 1961–2024.
For more information, see the HMIK Report “General Hydrometeorological Conditions and Flooding in Kosovo”.