ZAGREB, 25 May 2022 - A hailstorm hit the north of Croatia on Wednesday afternoon, causing extensive damage on facilities and agricultural land and destroying almost half of the country's flower production.

The hailstorm hit the area along the border with Slovenia in Krapina-Zagorje County, a number of communities and towns in Varaždin County and a part of Međimurje County.

Veliki Bukovec in Varaždin County and Hum na Sutli in Krapina-Zagorje County have suffered the most extensive damage.

Varaždin County head Anđelko Stričak visited the area of Veliki Bukovec, where 40% of Croatia's flower production is located and where not a single greenhouse has remained undamaged.

Stričak said that local residents could not remember a hailstorm as strong as the one that happened on Wednesday and that almost half of the country's flower production had been destroyed.

No casualties were reported.

Krapina-Zagorje County head Željko Kolar told Hina that the hailstorm caused damage to roofs, roof windows and a large number of vehicles while agricultural crops along the Sutla River, on the border with Slovenia, were completely destroyed.

Parts of Međimurje County were hit by the storm as well, and county head Matija Posavec said that in some areas the hail was the size of walnuts.

All three county heads said that damage would be established and that further decisions on declaring a state of natural disaster were being prepared.

Agriculture Minister Marija Vučković is expected to hold a news conference on the situation on Thursday.