Twelve Romanians died and firefighters, soldiers and volunteers battled wildfires across south-eastern Europe on Tuesday as a heatwave broke temperature records across the Balkans.
There was a blackout in many parts of Macedonia and some parts of Albania and northern Greece as power lines struggled to cope with temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius and an increased load from air conditioners.
In Romania, new deaths pushed the toll from the heatwave up to 30. After forecasts of easing temperatures, health officials were preparing to downgrade emergency measures from ”Code Red”, although in some parts of the country temperatures soared to an all-time record of over 44 degrees Celsius.
About 19 000 Romanians have been admitted to hospitals in the region’s second devastating hot spell this year. More than 35 people died in Romania, Turkey and Greece in June when the mercury shot up to 46 degrees Celsius.
Serbia battled 50 forest fires on what meteorologists predicted would be the hottest day of the year, with the temperature topping 43 degrees Celsius.
”We hoped a Russian water-bomber would arrive in the morning, but they had to go help in Bulgaria where the situation is critical,” said Predrag Maric, chief of Serbia’s police rescue department.
Meanwhile, the heatwave in central and southern Europe killed an estimated 500 people in Hungary last week, the country’s chief medical officer announced on Tuesday.
Ferenc Falus said that during the week from July 15 to July 22 the heat in central Hungary ”contributed to the early death of 230 people, which nationally means about 500 deaths”.
Sauna from God
Forest fires continued to rage across Bulgaria. Temperatures hit 44 degrees in some southern areas in what meteorologists say was the hottest year on record in the last 120 years.
In Macedonia temperatures hit an all-time record of 45 degrees. One man died of smoke inhalation in the southern town of Bitola and 200 were evacuated from a suburb.
In Bosnia, the town of Citluk, the Adriatic port of Neum and the mountain town of Visegrad declared a state of emergency.
There were partial blackouts and 18 fires burning in Serbia’s Kosovo province. Police, forestry officials and soldiers from the resident Nato-led peacekeeping force, KFOR, battled flames.
”We have ordered all fire fighters to work,” said Mahir Hasani of Kosovo’s Emergencies Department. ”There is no day off, no holiday for anybody. We are on high alert.”
In Greece, a 75-year-old man died on the island of Corfu, authorities said, as temperatures touched 44 Celsius. The Health Ministry said about seven people were diagnosed with heat stroke and were rushed to hospital.
”The situation is under control and the number of patients is very small. But we are on high alert as the next few days are crucial,” Health Ministry spokesman Panagiotis Efstathiou said.
In Athens, Greeks and tourists walked with umbrellas and newspapers covering their heads.
”It’s like having a sauna without having to pay, a free sauna from God,” a woman shopping in Athens told Reuters TV. — Reuters, AFP