The heatwave entered Romania from the west on Monday, July 6, already took over the whole country and the following two days will be the hottest so far this year.

The air temperatures have increased since early morning, reaching 30 degrees Celsius in Romania’s capital Bucharest and Arad, in western Romania, at 10:00 on Tuesday, July 7. The lowest temperatures were recorded at Balea Lake, in the Fagaras Mountains, where there were 11 degrees, and at Omu Peak, in the Bucegi Mountains (12 degrees Celsius).

Romania’s weather authority has issued a code orange for heat in four counties in western Romania, where temperatures are expected to reach 38-39 degrees Celsius, on Tuesday afternoon. A code yellow was also issued for most of the country, as temperatures in most of Romania’s regions will be between 35 and 37 degrees, on Tuesday afternoon.

But wait, it gets even hotter. On July 8 the whole country will feel the strength of mid-summer sun. Almost half of the country (Crisana, Western Transylvania, Maramures and Eastern Moldova regions) will be under code orange, which means that average temperatures will reach 39 degrees in the afternoon. The rest of the country will be under code yellow, with temperatures between 35 and 38 degrees.

During these two days, the temperature humidity index will pass the 80 unit threshold, which means that people will feel severe heat stress. The most efficient ways to fight the heat stress is to avoid prolonged sun exposure, to wear light color clothes and to drink at least two liters of still water per day to avoid dehydration. A dip in the pool, or in the sea (if you are at the seaside) might also help.

There’s also a good chance that the weather authority will issue a code red for extreme heat in some parts of the country, if temperatures will reach 40 degrees.

The weather will start cooling down on Thursday, July 9, as storms may appear in western Romania. In the Southeastern part of the country, where the capital Bucharest is located, the weather will likely remain hot until Friday.

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editor@romania-insider.com