Bucharest, July 22 (IANS) Romania’s National Meteorological Administration (ANM) issued multiple weather alerts on Tuesday as the country braces for a combination of extreme heat and unstable atmospheric conditions.
The national weather agency warned of red code alerts, the highest level in its color-coded warning system, for scorching heat in the capital city of Bucharest and several southern counties. Temperatures there are expected to reach 40 to 41 degrees Celsius, with high humidity leading to severe thermal discomfort.
ANM classifies weather alerts into three risk levels: yellow, orange, and red, indicating increasing severity from potential risk to extreme danger.
The orange code alert is in effect in some southeastern regions, with highs of 38 to 40 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, several southern and eastern regions are under yellow code alerts, with daytime highs of 34 to 38 degrees and night time lows between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius, Xinhua news agency reported.
In addition to heat-related alerts, a separate yellow warning has been issued for unstable atmospheric conditions affecting half of the country, particularly in central, eastern, and southern regions, including mountainous areas and parts of the Black Sea coast. Forecasts predict strong winds, thunderstorms, torrential rain, and isolated hail, with rainfall up to 40 liters per square meter. This warning is valid from Tuesday noon to early Wednesday.
According to ANM, the heatwave and thermal discomfort are expected to persist across western, southern, and parts of central Romania until the end of the week.
On July 20, Florinela Georgescu, meteorologist, warned during a live broadcast on a local media outlet that even hotter weather is expected by the middle of next week, with temperatures possibly reaching 40 degrees Celsius in southern Oltenia and Muntenia.
She explained that a hot air mass from northern Africa is driving the extreme heat across much of Europe. “We are on the northeastern edge of this heatwave, but we will still feel its full effects,” she said, noting that the highest temperatures are forecast for southern Europe, especially Greece, and also parts of Romania in the coming days.
She added that capital Bucharest could also see highs around 40 degrees Celsius by mid-week.
–IANS
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