Lead

A heatwave is moving eastwards across Europe, bringing extreme temperatures to large parts of central and southern Europe and putting countries at risk of an energy crunch, as reported by The Guardian. Cities including Budapest, Vienna, Zagreb, Tirana, and Bucharest are expected to see temperatures of up to 37C, with the heat expected to last for up to five days, according to the same report.

Coverage comparison

The Guardian's reporting focuses on the energy supply risks posed by the extreme weather, noting that Hungary was forced to shut down most of its sole nuclear power plant for the first time in 44 years as the drying out of the Danube made it impossible to cool safely. The outlet also reported that Romania and Serbia reported their lowest-ever water levels, causing issues with hydropower generation. In a separate article, The Guardian highlighted record temperatures broken in Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary, as well as Poland's shutdown of coal-fired power plants due to critically low water levels in the Vistula River.

The South China Morning Post covered the heatwave from a regional perspective, noting that countries across central Europe were taking steps to reduce fire risk and ease pressure on water and energy networks. The report mentioned Hungary's Prime Minister calling for voluntary electricity reduction and Slovakia setting up cooling stations.

Key Claims

  • Hungary was forced to shut down most of its sole nuclear power plant, which generates a large part of the country's energy supply, for the first time in 44 years as the drying out of the Danube made it impossible to cool safely. The plant is expected to be completely powered down later this week as water levels on the Danube are projected to fall further, as reported by The Guardian.
  • Romania and Serbia reported their lowest-ever water levels, causing issues with hydropower generation, according to The Guardian.
  • Temperatures are expected to reach up to 37C in Budapest and Vienna, with Zagreb at 36C, Tirana at 35C, and Bucharest at 33C, and these temperatures are expected to last for up to five days, as reported by The Guardian.
  • Record temperatures were broken in several countries across central and eastern Europe, including Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary. On Thursday, the Slovakian hydrometeorological agency said a new high of 42C had been reached in Dolné Plachtince, according to The Guardian.
  • Poland was forced to shut down the Kozienice and Połaniec coal-fired power plants after critically low water levels in the Vistula River limited cooling water supplies. The disruption removed about 1.3GW of capacity from Poland's power system, as reported by The Guardian.
  • Climate activists in Germany demonstrated outside the chancellery demanding an end to the use of fossil fuels, according to The Guardian. An estimated 11,900 people across the country have died from heat this summer, according to new estimates from the Robert Koch Institute, the same report said.
  • Hungary's Prime Minister Péter Magyar called on businesses to voluntarily reduce their electricity consumption, as reported by the South China Morning Post. The Guardian also quoted him writing on X that "one of the turbines at the Paks nuclear power plant is operating" and that "on today's hot day there will still be a strong need for voluntary reductions in electricity consumption."
  • Slovakia set up more than 30 cooling stations offering air-conditioned spaces and drinking water in the capital Bratislava, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
  • EU ambassadors met to discuss the migration crisis, as reported by The Guardian, ahead of talks between interior ministers.

Perspectives

Hungarian government

Prime Minister Péter Magyar warned that "the hardest five days are ahead" and called on businesses to voluntarily reduce electricity consumption. After the nuclear plant's temporary shutdown, he wrote on X that the power station was going back online, with one turbine operating, while still stressing the need for voluntary reductions in electricity use on hot days.

Climate activists in Germany

Annkatrin Schwirten, from Fridays for Future Berlin, told The Guardian that "this extreme heat and its consequences are the result of a fossil fuel policy that is completely irresponsible and extremely dangerous." She said that "we must not become accustomed to thousands of heat-related deaths every summer."

Residents in affected cities

Residents quoted by the South China Morning Post described coping with the heat. Kata Serfozo, 36, a designer on maternity leave in Budapest, said she was spending "a lot of time outdoors in the shade" because it feels "much better than staying at home (with) the curtains drawn, the blinds down, and the shades closed." Darina Justusova, 33, pregnant and on maternity leave, said the heat was making her "much more tired" and forcing her to "take more breaks" during the day.