Khaberni - Central and eastern Europe have become the most affected areas in recent hours due to the heatwave hitting the continent for days, with record temperatures in Slovakia, mandatory remote working imposed on public sector employees in Hungary, and risks threatening the severely damaged Ukrainian energy network due to Russian attacks.
This comes as the severe consequences of this exceptional heatwave are still tangible in Western Europe, which was first struck by the wave.
In France, where Prime Minister Sebastian Lecornu did not rule out "the return of the heatwave," parents found their 15-month-old twin daughters dead in their beds, apparently due to dehydration. Six departments in southern France face a "very high risk" of wildfires on Wednesday.
In Poland, authorities registered 56 drowning cases since the beginning of June. Slovakia also recorded a new high for temperatures, reaching 41 degrees Celsius in the southern town of Torna nad Bodva, while local relief services reported 308 heat-related fainting incidents in the past few days.
Susan, residing in the Austrian capital, during her time in Alte Donau, an old branch of the Danube River in Vienna turned into a swimming area where the water temperature reaches 29 degrees Celsius, said "I do what everyone does: I try to stay in the shade and drink a lot of water; it might be the only thing that saves us."
- Exceptional Measures in Hungary -
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Madiar, where a maximum temperature of 41.8 degrees Celsius was recorded in the central city of Ashod, said "We have made working from home mandatory in the public sector on Monday and Tuesday wherever possible." Madiar also asked all employers to "facilitate remote working or reduce working hours whenever possible."
He added, "I call on all churches, public institutions, and air-conditioned facilities to remain open during the next two days", and urged them to "reduce water consumption over the next 36 to 48 hours".
In Bosnia, where temperatures could rise to 40 degrees Celsius similar to Albania, firefighters announced on Monday that they controlled a fire at a garbage dump near the southern city of Mostar. Meanwhile, vulnerable individuals in Kosovo were advised to stay indoors during the day.
To the east, Ukraine is preparing to face temperatures that might reach 38 degrees Celsius this week, a situation that threatens to increase pressure on the severely bombarded energy infrastructure from the Russian bombing last winter.
Power outages were recorded on Monday in two Ukrainian regions, Rivne (northwest) and Khmelnytskyi (west).
- Calls for Worker Protection -
Climate scientists from the "World Weather Attribution" initiative believe this heatwave, the most severe ever in Europe, would not have been possible without climate change.
Nevertheless, while the heatwave prompted many Western European governments to take emergency measures, such as banning alcohol sales in Paris, canceling festivals, and closing schools, no similar steps have yet been announced in the Balkan region, where the school year had ended.
Despite this, trade unions in North Macedonia are urging the government to take measures to protect workers.
Generally, forecasts indicated that maximum temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius in a region encompassing more than 269 million people across Europe on Monday (excluding Turkey), down from more than 380 million people the previous day.
This heatwave has sparked heated discussions in many European countries about whether or not to encourage the use of air conditioning.
In response to a question on this matter on Monday, the European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen avoided giving details, simply stating, "I doubt that we have a particular opinion or stance on air conditioning," indicating that this choice is "up to individuals."
