From Italy, to Greece, Croatia and Romania, the extreme heat has engulfed Europe, the South and the Balkans, where it has caused fires and record energy consumption. The Italian health ministry placed 12 cities under red alert, from Trieste to Rome, due to the scorching heat.
Temperatures have exceeded 40 degrees and it is said that the worst is yet to come. The activation of the highest alert level means that the elderly and children should stay indoors during the hottest hours of the day, avoid outdoor activities and heavy meals.
Croatia reported the highest ever Adriatic sea temperatures, with the thermometer hitting 30 degrees Celsius near the stone city of Dubrovnik.
In Serbia, the energy company reported record energy consumption on Tuesday due to the use of air conditioners.
Extreme heat has led to the drying up of the Rusanda salt lake, in the western region of Vojvodina. Temperatures have reached 42 degrees even in North Macedonia, where around 200 fires have been burning since the beginning of the month. In Greece, authorities are offering air-conditioned spaces to the public.
Some types of outdoor work such as manual labor or delivery and construction are prohibited during peak hours. The city’s main monument, the Acropolis, was temporarily closed on Wednesday from 12pm to 5pm.
The national meteorological service in Spain warned that temperatures during the following days could reach 44 degrees. Germany has reported hundreds of hospitalizations due to the heat, while Paris, which will also host the Olympic Games later in the month, has so far been spared from the heat wave./a2cnn
