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The Western Balkan region is facing serious drought as the heat wave across Europe caused by African anti-Cicarons continues to disrupt everyday life and cause agricultural and electricity issues.
Temperatures in central Albania reached 40 degrees Celsius on Thursday, and meteorologists warned that rain would be on until September. Due to low winter and spring rainfall, the rivers in the country are already pretty much dry.
The rising temperatures have led Albanian authorities to support local agriculture with their irrigation networks. A project to distract water from the North Mat River to irrigate approximately 40 square kilometres of farmland in the area was completed on Tuesday.
There was also a negative impact on Albania’s electricity production. This comes mainly from hydroelectric power plants in the north.
National Power Corporation spent up to 60 million euros importing energy in the first half of this year.
Serbia’s provincial meteorological research lab warns that “extreme drought” is affecting the country’s crops, but that rivers and lakes are falling.
Small towns and villages across the country are also facing drinking water restrictions.
Kosovo has closed the outdoor pool in Pristina, the capital, which people use to cool off in the summer heat.
Located in the city’s suburbs and part of the regional park, the Gelmias swimming pool was built as a recreational destination in the late 1980s and is considered one of the largest on the continent. At this point last year, the pool had 4,000-5,000 visitors every day.
Famous for its natural beauty, Germia Park is located in the hills and mountains that provide natural water resources to its pool. However, this year, pool staff were unable to provide the 20,000 cubic metres of water needed for proper functioning.
It took six days to fill the pool over the past few years, but this year it will take more than three weeks due to drought, said manager Bardh Krasniqi.
“Now, we have not been able to open the largest pool in the country due to the strong heat wave affecting the country and the region,” Krasniki said.
As temperatures were expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius on Thursday, the health lab urged people to stay away from the direct sunlight and warned children, seniors and those who are sick to stay at home.
During last week’s heatwave in Europe, smoking temperatures reached 46.6 degrees Celsius in Portugal. Wildfires also occur more frequently in the area during hotter and drier summers.
Additional sources •AP
