The heat wave in Croatia continued at the beginning of the week, with the highest red code for dangerously high temperatures declared for the Zagreb and Rijeka regions, Croatian national television HRT reported, citing data from the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (HMHS). An orange code is in effect for the regions of Osijek, Karlovac, Gospić, Knin, Split and Dubrovnik.
Over the weekend, the heat reached its peak in a number of regions of the country, HRT recalls. Yesterday, Rijeka recorded around 40 degrees Celsius, making the coastal city the hottest place in Croatia.
According to the forecast, sunny, hot and sometimes very hot weather will prevail in the country today. In the afternoon, there is a small chance of short-term showers in the mountainous regions of Croatia, as well as in the interior of the Istria and Dalmatia regions. The wind will be mostly light, and on the Adriatic coast - to moderate from the southeast, later in the day from the southwest. Maximum temperatures will be between 33 and 38 degrees.
Unusually high temperatures were recorded in the early morning hours. At 7:00 local time (8 a.m. Bulgarian time), Lastovo measured 28 degrees, in Senj - 28.7 degrees, in Rijeka - 27.6 degrees, in Mali Lošinj - 27.2 degrees, and in Dubrovnik - 26 degrees.
The HMH warns that extremely high temperatures are expected in the red code areas, which pose a serious health risk, and calls on citizens to limit exposure to the heat and pay special attention to children and the elderly. In the orange code areas, there is also an increased risk for sensitive groups of the population, which is why increased attention and compliance with heat protection measures are recommended.
According to meteorologists, temperatures are expected to temporarily decrease on Tuesday, after which they will start to rise again.