Heat Wave Rocks Europe, Austria Hits 41.2°C
Record temperatures shift eastward, while low river levels trigger an energy crisis from Hungary to Croatia.
Record temperatures shift eastward, while low river levels trigger an energy crisis from Hungary to Croatia.
This summer, record-breaking heat and devastating wildfires have hit Europe, which is considered the fastest-warming continent in the world. France and Spain have been particularly hard hit in recent weeks, but the focus of the heat wave has now shifted further east, bringing new temperature records and energy challenges.
In the Austrian town of Bad Deutsch-Altenburg, near the Slovak border, a record 41.2 degrees Celsius was measured on Wednesday. This was confirmed by the national meteorological service GeoSphere Austria. The previous record of 41.0 degrees Celsius was set just a day earlier, on Tuesday, in nearby Vienna.
The heat wave shows no signs of abating in the rest of the region. Italy has issued red heat alerts for its major cities, with temperatures reaching around 40 degrees Celsius in some areas. In the southern Albanian region of Mallakaster, emergency services are battling a forest fire.
Due to the extreme heat, the Vatican decided to move the first weekly general audience of Pope Leo after the July break indoors. Instead of being held outdoors in St. Peter's Square, the audience took place in a covered area.
The effects of the heat wave and drought are increasingly being felt in the energy sector. In Hungary, businesses and households reduced their electricity consumption this week following a government appeal to ease pressure on the grid. The capital, Budapest, is facing the peak of the heat wave, with temperatures expected to approach 40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday afternoon.
Due to the falling water level of the Danube, Hungary was forced to almost completely halt operations at its only nuclear power plant, which uses river water for cooling, pushing supply capacities to their limits.
This crisis directly affects Croatia as well. On Wednesday, the Krško nuclear power plant, which supplies customers in Slovenia and Croatia, announced it would begin reducing reactor output overnight. The reason is the exceptionally high temperatures and the low water level of the Sava River, which flows into the Danube. According to information from the plant, production will initially be reduced to 80 percent of capacity.
The problem of low water levels is not limited to the Danube and Sava. In the west, in Germany, the water level of the Rhine has reached new record lows. As a result, some freight transport services have been suspended, while others continue but with significantly reduced cargo. The Rhine normally carries key goods such as grains, ores, and gasoline, so these disruptions could have additional economic consequences.
