Hottest day of the year: Red heat alert in Romania on July 1

Saturday, July 1, will be this year’s hottest day in Romania so far, as 19 counties and the capital Bucharest will be under a red alert of extreme heat. This means that the temperatures could reach 44 degrees Celsius in some areas. The alert targets Bucharest, as well as Dolj, Olt, Teleorman, Giurgiu, Ilfov, Calarasi, Ialomita, Galati, Braila, Vaslui, and Iasi counties, and parts of Valcea, Arges, Dambovita, Prahova, Buzau, Vrancea, Bacau, and Neamt counties, according to meteorologists. Thus, on July 1, the temperatures will stay around 38-41 degrees Celsius in these regions, and could go up to 44 degrees Celsius in Southern Oltenia and Muntenia. The temperature-humidity index will be between 82 and 84 units in the afternoon, which will lead to a major thermal discomfort. Other counties will be under orange and yellow alerts on Saturday, July 1, which means that the temperatures will stay between 33 and 38 degrees Celsius.

The weather is also extremely hot on Friday, June 30, with most of Romania being under orange and yellow alerts of extreme heat. The capital Bucharest is among the areas covered by the orange warning. Interior minister Carmen Dan said on Wednesday that some 840 ambulances, 270 special vehicles from the emergency rescue service, and nine SMURD aircraft are ready to intervene in Romania during this extremely hot period. The Romanian Ministry of Health recommends people to avoid going out in the sun between 11:00 and 18:00, to drink between 1.5 and 2.5 liters of liquids a day even if they are not thirsty, but to avoid drinking beverages with a high level of caffeine (such as coffee, tea, cola), to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and to dress properly when going out (wearing sun hats, light clothes made of natural fibers). Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com