Orange Code warning issued for Bucharest, several counties as heatwave hits Romania

Romania's National Meteorological Administration (ANM) has issued an Orange Code warning for extreme heat and heightened thermal discomfort, affecting 12 counties and the capital city, Bucharest. The alert will be in effect from Thursday morning, June 26, until Friday morning, at 10:00 AM.

The Orange Code covers Banat, Oltenia, and the southern half of Muntenia, where the heatwave is expected to intensify. Daytime highs will soar to between 38 and 40 degrees Celsius, while nighttime temperatures will remain between 20 and 24 degrees - conditions that meet the threshold for a tropical night.

The counties under the Orange Code include Timiș, Caraș-Severin, Mehedinți, Gorj, Vâlcea, Dolj, Olt, Teleorman, Giurgiu, Călărași, and Ilfov, as well as the municipality of Bucharest, and partly the county of Ialomița.

In addition, two Yellow Code warnings have been issued for large parts of the country. The first is in effect from Wednesday at 10:00 AM to Thursday at 10:00 AM, and the second from Thursday at 10:00 AM to Friday at 10:00 AM.

During this period, the heatwave will affect most regions, including Banat, Crișana, Maramureș, Oltenia, Muntenia, southern Moldova, continental Dobrogea, and much of Transylvania. Maximum temperatures will range between 34 and 38 degrees Celsius, while minimums will stay between 17 and 24 degrees, with tropical nights expected in southern and western Romania.

From Thursday morning to Friday morning, a Yellow Code will remain in effect for Crișana, southwestern and southern Transylvania, northern and northeastern Muntenia, Dobrogea, and southern Moldova. In these areas, temperatures will generally peak between 35 and 37 degrees, and nighttime lows will range from 17 to 20 degrees.

According to ANM, the heatwave is expected to persist across most of the country in the coming days.

(Photos:LCVA/Dreamstime.com, ANM website)