The public company “Parks and Greenery” is urging the people of Skopje not to park under trees because of forecast unstable weather with downpours, thunder and strong wind. Reasonable advice - but there is also an uncomfortable truth hidden inside it: three days after the last storm, the trees and branches felled by the previous one still haven't been cleared.

The appeal comes after the Hydrometeorological Service forecast a new dose of bad weather. The company calls on citizens to avoid lingering near tall vegetation and to immediately report fallen trees or other hazards to the number 112. As a reminder - the last storm brought wind at speeds over 130 kilometres an hour, which did serious damage to trees across the city.

And there is the problem. While the authorities advise where not to park so a tree doesn't fall on the car, some of the trees that have already fallen are lying across pavements and footpaths. In places, passers-by are forced onto the road to get around the broken branches. Gathered into piles on the grass, but with days passing and no crew to haul them away.

The appeal for citizens to be careful is on point. But drivers' caution is no substitute for clearing up. If a new wind hits the already-damaged trees before the old branches are removed, the damage will only double. The question for citizens is simple: while they tell us not to park under trees, when will the authorities remove the ones that have already fallen?