Italy Issues Red Health Alert as Heatwave Hits Europe, Hungary Cuts Lighting to Conserve Energy
Italy placed its major cities under the highest health alert level due to extreme heat, while Hungary switched off non-essential lighting at state sites to reduce electricity use amid a continent-wide heatwave.
Italy’s health ministry placed all its major cities on a red-level health alert on Thursday as temperatures surged, covering an area from Palermo in the south to Bolzano in the north. The alert signals a potential health emergency and prompts measures such as free museum and library entry for seniors in Genoa and extended free cinema screenings in Rome until August 14.
In the north-western city of Turin, the Piedmont region declared a state of emergency over drought and heightened wildfire risk as river levels fell to historic lows.
Further east, Hungary turned off decorative and non-essential lighting at state institutions, including the Parliament, Buda Castle and the Chain Bridge, to save electricity. Record-low water levels on the Danube have forced the country to largely shut down its only nuclear plant, which relies on river water for cooling, tightening the national power supply.
Romania is considering sinking rock-filled barges into the Danube to divert water to its operating reactor, while Bucharest has dimmed street lighting by one-third and switched off illumination at landmark buildings at night.
Low water levels are also affecting shipping on Germany’s Rhine, limiting vessel loads and raising freight costs for commodities such as grain, minerals, coal and oil.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, tourists are seeking refuge from 40 °C (104 °F) outside temperatures in the Vjetrenica cave, which maintains a constant 11 °C (52 °F) year-round and hosts limited visitor numbers to protect its sensitive environment.