Heatwave in Croatia: Red alert

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The whole of Croatia is under red alert as the country continues to suffer from a heatwave. On Friday, temperatures reached 37 degrees Celsius – a value that was only recorded in the northeastern region of Slavonia and southern Dalmatia.

And there is hardly any relaxation in the sea either. In some areas the water temperature reaches up to 28 degrees Celsius.

The National Hydrometeorological Institute reports that the exceptionally high temperatures on Friday led to the issuance of the highest level weather warning for Croatia.

Heat stroke is now a real danger for many people in the Mediterranean country. Symptoms can include headaches and dizziness, malaise, restlessness and disorientation, redness, heated and dry skin, rapid heartbeat and even loss of consciousness, according to warnings from the Croatian Red Cross.

The latest red warning comes as a scorching heatwave is sending temperatures soaring to as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in some parts of central and southern Europe.

“It really touches me”

From Italy to Romania, authorities have warned people to be cautious, drive carefully while on holiday, drink plenty of water and avoid going out during the hottest hours of the day.

Italian authorities issued a red weather warning in seven cities on Thursday, mainly in the central parts of the country, but also in the capital Rome and Trieste in the northeast.

As temperatures reached 38°C (100°F) on Thursday, Rome city authorities released a digital app to help people find public drinking fountains.

Dennis Mix, a visitor from the United States, said he skipped part of a planned Rome tour and stayed in a van instead. “It’s really weighing on me,” he said.

During an earlier heatwave last month, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia and Albania experienced a major power outage due to overloading and the collapse of a regional distribution line.

Earlier this month, after days of heat, a violent storm swept through the region, killing two people, damaging houses, uprooting trees and flooding streets.

According to experts, human-induced climate change has led to increasing weather variability, increasingly unpredictable storms and heat waves.