Hot summer: Showers installed on Bucharest streets, code red for extreme heat in parts of Romania

Bucharest’s City Hall continues to take measures aimed at helping people fight the heat stress these days. After it decided toinstall medical tents in high-traffic areas of the capital, the Municipality also started installing street showers. According to a statement of the City Hall, street showers are to be set in Unirii Square (next to the Manuc Inn), Cismigiu Park, Lipscani street, Universitatii Square (Dunarea and the National Theater), Lascar Catargiu street (Orange store), Victoriei Square (the Government building), Herastrau Park (Charles de Gaulle and the Arch of Triumph entries). Bucharest Mayor Sorin Oprescu also requested public pool complexes to stay open during the night, if possible. Moreover, the capital’s streets will be sprayed with water early in the morning, in the evening, and during the night. The weather continues to be extremely hot today, July 8, especially in Arad and Bihour counties where meteorologists issued a code red for extreme heat, which means that temperatures can exceed 39 degrees Celsius. Other 18 counties are under code orange for heat (maximum temperatures of 37-39 degrees Celsius), while the rest of the country is under code yellow (maximum temperatures of 35-38 degrees Celsius). In Bucharest, meteorologists expect a maximum temperature of 38 degrees Celsius during the afternoon, but as the tarmac heats, the atmosphere becomes suffocating. The hot weather will continue on Thursday, July 9, in the south and southeast parts of Romania, but it will get a bit cooler starting Friday, as some storms may appear. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com