TIRANA, July 24, 2024 – A scorching heatwave has gripped Albania and southern Europe this month, affecting daily life and businesses across the country.
Health concerns for the most vulnerable, a series of wildfires, and slow business in the services sector during the hot daytime hours are some of the negative effects of the ongoing heatwave.
With average temperatures hitting 38-40 degrees Celsius daily in Tirana, and feeling even hotter with the humidity and heat dome effect the large city produces, people are left hiding indoors most of the day to escape the heat. The city’s famous Skanderbeg Square looks deserted at midday as few people venture out, seeking relief with water fountains as the searing heat continues to take its toll.
The government has offered public sector workers some flexibility with working hours due to the heatwave, but this has not extended to private sector workers.
Health authorities have urged the elderly and children, in particular, but everyone else too, to avoid being outside between the hours of 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
-Empty cafes and high power consumption-
For the past two weeks, the heatwave has significantly impacted bars and cafes in Tirana, as customers avoid them during the day. Despite efforts by owners to install air conditioners and other cooling devices, people refrain from going out until the evening.
“It’s hard to breathe outside,” says a woman taking a break in a large shopping center in downtown Tirana.
Albania has seen an increase in foreign tourists, but they too have to stay indoors due to the daytime heat, with business owners reporting a drastic drop in revenue, which picks up only in the evening.
With the increase in air conditioning use, there have been sporadic blackouts, but overall they have been temporary, although authorities report record power consumption. During a previous heatwave last month, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, and Croatia faced a major power outage amid the overload and collapse of a regional distribution line.
While Albanians are accustomed to hot summers, the two back-to-back heatwaves so far this summer have left many people worried about the future as climate change makes such events more frequent.
Meteorologists expect this latest heatwave to last at least until the end of July.
While figures on the toll of the heatwave on health are not available, doctors have reported treating people who collapsed, felt dizzy or complained of headaches due to the heat.
-Wildfires continue to be a concern-
Meanwhile, wildfires have been raging across hundreds of hectares of forests and pastures in various parts of Albania for weeks. According to the National Civil Protection Agency, the most affected areas are administrative units in the counties of Dibër, Gjirokastër, Vlorë and Shkodër.
For weeks, numerous firefighting units, supported by the army and two helicopters, have been battling the blazes, which in some cases have approached inhabited areas. Most of the fires have been extinguished, but the current focus is on mountanus Dibër County, where temperatures recently peaked at 43 degrees, increasing the risk of new fires.
The National Operational Center for Civil Emergencies announced that last week there were seven fires active nationwide, with new ones appearing daily. Fires that broke out in the last three weeks have posed challenges for firefighting efforts, prompting Albania to activate the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on July 13, which sent two firefighting planes primarily to combat fires in the Gjirokastër area.
Around 36 percent of Albania’s land area consists of forests and pastures, and the rising threat of wildfires has been exacerbated by climate change in recent years. Each year, the country experiences over 200 fires in these areas, leading to considerable economic and environmental harm. The nation’s firefighting capabilities are particularly constrained in isolated mountainous regions. The firefighting service operates with just 147 vehicles, many of which are old, and lacks any firefighting aircraft,
-Part of wider regional trend-
Albania is not alone. The heatwave has been baking all of southern Europe. From Italy to Romania, authorities have warned people to be cautious, drive carefully if going on holiday, drink plenty of water, and avoid going out during the hottest hours of the day.
Italian authorities declared a red weather alert in seven cities last week. Forest fires have been reported in Greece, Bosnia and Italy. Greek authorities have said that the country faces its highest wildfire risk in two decades this summer, following a mild, largely rainless winter and spring that have left vegetation tinder-dry.
Experts say human-induced climate change has brought wild weather swings, increasingly unpredictable storms, and heatwaves.
