Italy has declared the highest heat danger level for the first time this year in all 27 cities under national monitoring. A powerful heat wave has swept across Europe, causing temperature records, drought, fires, and problems with energy and transport infrastructure. CBS News reports, UNN writes.
Details
On Thursday, Italy’s Ministry of Health declared a red alert in all 27 cities monitored as part of the national heat monitoring system. This is the first time this year that the entire network has simultaneously been at the highest warning level. The warnings range from Trieste in the northeast to Palermo in Sicily and indicate a risk to the health of the entire population.
Residents and tourists were urged to avoid direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day, stay indoors whenever possible, and drink plenty of water. The operating hours of popular tourist attractions were also changed—for example, in Rome, evening visiting hours at the Colosseum and the Pantheon were extended.
Cooling systems that spray water were installed near the entrances to the Colosseum, and additional medical stations were opened.
The highest temperatures were recorded in Austria, where the temperature reached 106.2 degrees Fahrenheit (41.2 degrees Celsius) on Wednesday in the village of Bad Deutsch-Altenburg near the Slovak border, meteorological service GeoSphere Austria reported. This became the highest temperature ever recorded in the country.
Austria is also facing a severe drought. Precipitation from January 1 to June 30 was 27% below the country’s long-term average, while some eastern regions received only half their usual rainfall. Climatologist Alexander Orlik said that such dry conditions had not been observed in some parts of the country since 1885.
In Hungary, prolonged drought and record-low water levels in the Danube have seriously affected the operation of the country’s only nuclear power plant, which uses river water to cool its reactors. Plant operators reduced production to approximately 10% of its normal level, prompting the government to introduce emergency electricity-saving measures.
Germany has also expressed concern about the impact of the drought on transport and industry, as water levels in the Rhine and other rivers continue to fall. Transport Minister Steffen Bilger said Thursday that low water levels were creating serious problems for inland shipping, industry, and the entire logistics network.
In southeastern France, firefighters continue large-scale operations in the Var region, where authorities said a major forest fire was no longer spreading but remained at risk of reigniting. The fire, which broke out on July 20, destroyed more than 23 square miles of land, making it the largest fire in the region in recent decades.