The heatwave that set temperature records in Western Europe last week has moved to the east of the continent. Red danger levels have been declared in a number of countries due to extremely high temperatures, reports The Guardian.
Red warnings are in effect in Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovakia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Residents are urged to avoid being outdoors during the hottest hours of the day and to stay in cool premises.
In Budapest, over +40°C is forecast for June 30. The previous day, the temperature in Belgrade reached +38°C, and in Bucharest – +37°C. A new temperature record of +40.5°C was recorded in Slovakia.
Due to the heat, Hungarian authorities have opened over 2,000 air-conditioned cooling centers. The Paks Nuclear Power Plant has also been temporarily allowed to use warmer water for cooling reactors to avoid reducing electricity production.
Meanwhile, in Western European countries, where the heatwave has already begun to recede, its consequences are being reported. Over a thousand deaths related to high temperatures have been recorded in France, and over 800 in Spain. In Germany, temperature records were broken for several consecutive days, and the heat led to the deformation of tram tracks.
Experts note that Central and Eastern European countries are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat due to the characteristics of housing construction from the Soviet period. Many buildings were built to retain heat in winter, and they lack summer cooling systems. Additionally, the level of air conditioner use in the region remains significantly lower than the European average.
Against the backdrop of the heat, the load on the energy system in Ukraine has also increased. Due to increased electricity consumption, hourly power outage schedules will be in effect on June 30 from 5 PM to 10 PM hourly power outage schedules ranging from 0.5 to 1 queue.
What will be the weather in Lviv region read here.
