Heat wave in Croatia and other European countries

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A red alert has been issued for the whole of Croatia, which continues to suffer from a heatwave.

The highest temperature on Friday – 37°C – was recorded in the Slavonia region in the north-east of the country and in southern Dalmatia.

And in some areas, the water temperature reached 28°C.

During last month’s heatwave, Croatia faced major power outages due to overload and the collapse of a regional distribution line.

Several European countries affected this week

Italian authorities declared a red weather alert in seven cities on Thursday, mainly in the centre of the country but also in the capital Rome and Trieste in the northeast. Rome’s municipal authorities have set up a digital app to help people locate public fountains as temperatures hit 38C on Thursday.

Forest fires have been reported this week in Albania, near the border with Greece, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy. Several fires raged Thursday in the Corinth region in southern Greece and on the island of Lesbos.

Warnings were issued for the region surrounding the capital Athens and other parts of central Greece on Thursday, and a similar alert was issued for the northeast of the country on Friday. Greek authorities said the country faces the highest risk of wildfires in two decades this summer, following a mild and largely rainless winter and spring that left vegetation dry.

In Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, where temperatures reached 34°C on Wednesday before dropping slightly on Thursday, the city’s zoo delivered ten tonnes of ice to help the animals, who were in dire need of it.

In the Romanian capital, Bucharest, street thermometers read 42C (107F) on Tuesday and Wednesday, although official readings were a few degrees lower.

Neighbouring Serbia has seen record temperatures since the start of summer, with thermostats hitting 35C on Thursday morning in the north of the country. In the capital Belgrade, doctors said they had treated people who had collapsed, felt dizzy or complained of headaches due to the heat.