Extreme heat breaks temperature records in central and eastern Europe
Slovakia reaches new high of 42C as authorities in Poland forced to shut down Kozienice and Połaniec power plants
TL;DR
- Record temperatures have been broken in Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary.
- Low water levels in the Vistula River forced the shutdown of two Polish coal-fired power plants.
- Climate activists protested in Germany against the government's inaction on extreme heat.
- An estimated 11,900 people have died from heat in Germany this summer.
- The Paks nuclear power plant in Hungary is partially back online, but electricity consumption reduction is still needed.
- The ongoing heat and drought are supercharged by the climate crisis, impacting populations, infrastructure, and wildlife.
- The EU has seen about half a million hectares burned this year, primarily in Spain and France.
- Fire weather severity has set new records in several European countries.
- Global heating has made recent hot, dry, and windy weather significantly more likely in Spain and France.