Over 1,300 call ambulance in one day as heat wave hits Romania, 70 faint in public places

The heat wave that has taken over Romania in the beginning of this week has caused 70 people to faint on the street or in other public places in Bucharest in the last 24 hours. With the capital Bucharest and several other counties under a Code Orange for heat, as many as 1,300 people called the Ambulance service on Monday and Tuesday morning (July 29, 30), and almost 700 of the calls were emergencies. Doctors advise staying in the shade during the mid-day hours, drinking lots of water, and paying special attention to the elderly and children, who are more vulnerable during this period. Several counties in Southern and Western Romania were placed under Code Orange for heat on Monday and Tuesday (July 29, 30), as a heat wave has hit the country. Temperatures will rise to 39 – 40 degrees Celsius on Monday in Arad, Timiş, Caraş-Severin, Mehedinţi, Dolj and Olt, as well as in the capital Bucharest where the temperature – humidity index went above the comfort threshold of 80 units. Meanwhile, the South, West and some regions in Central Romania were under Code Yellow for heat, with temperatures between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius on Monday. For Tuesday, meteorologists issued a Code Orange for the counties of Olt, Teleorman and Giurgiu, with temperatures reaching again 40 degrees Celsius, while the South and South – Eastern Romania will be under Code Yellow, with up to 38 degrees Celsius. Temperatures will also be high in the rest of the country during this period, and authorities have already called for anti-heat measures, and started to create help spots downtown cities, providing water and first aid to those suffering from the heat. Doctors recommend drinking plenty of water during this period - at least 1.5 liters a day, and avoiding sun exposure between 11,00 and 18,00 hours. From Tuesday evening onwards until the end of the week, there will be increasing atmospheric instability, especially during the evenings and at night, when high speed wind, lightning and rain will start to take over Romania. Temperatures will however continue to stay up during the day until the end of the week. editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: sxc.hu)