Vienna, Aug 3 (EFE).- Unusually high temperatures and drought are keeping several Central European countries on alert on Monday, with nuclear power plants operating at minimum capacity in Romania and Hungary due to low water levels in the Danube, which is also affecting agriculture and transportation.
The flow of the Danube River has fallen to historic lows due to a lack of rain, reduced water from Alpine snowmelt, and successive heat waves that have affected the region for weeks.
Controlled blasting in Romania
In Romania, the military carried out controlled explosions on Monday to divert more water to the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, which supplies 20% of the country’s electricity, to keep one of its two reactors operational for a few more days.
The other reactor was shut down on Jul. 28 due to low water levels, which are used to cool the reactors.
Faced with forecasts that water levels will drop even further by the end of the week, automakers Ford and Dacia announced they are halting production for two weeks, in response to the government’s request that industry reduce energy consumption.
The government has already announced that, if voluntary conservation measures prove insufficient, it may impose restrictions.
Nuclear Shutdown in Hungary
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar indicated that the Paks nuclear power plant will have to shut down the last of its four still-operational reactors, which normally provide 50% of the country’s electricity supply, by Tuesday at the latest.
Effective Monday, the government has banned rail freight traffic between 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm.
Magyar thanked Hungarians for reducing their consumption and said that many companies have also done so voluntarily.
He added that the government could impose mandatory restrictions on industries that do not conserve enough energy.
The drought has also forced an early harvest of corn and sunflowers, and the situation could affect animal feed production.
Weather services are forecasting temperatures of up to 42°C (107°F) for Thursday, with temperatures expected to begin dropping on Friday.
As in other sections of the Danube, passenger and goods transportation has been reduced, which also affects tankers carrying fuel from refineries in Austria and Slovakia.
Austria: red alert
Austrian authorities issued a red heat alert through Wednesday for the eastern and northeastern parts of the country, with temperatures that could exceed the all-time high of 40.5 °C (104.5°F) recorded in 2013, further accelerating the evaporation of river water.
One of the main problems is that the heat will not let up even at night, with lows expected to range from 24 to 27°C (75-80°F).
The lack of air conditioning in most hospitals and nursing homes is making the situation more difficult.
According to the Agency for Food and Health Safety, 395 people died due to the heat in June, a record high for that month.
Drought across half of the Czech Republic
Half of the hydrological stations are recording drought conditions, with river flows ranging from 5% to 60% of the average August flow, according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Office (CHMU), which does not expect the situation to improve in the short term.
Temperatures could reach 39°C (84°F) this week.
Although some isolated rainfall is forecast, the Czech agency estimates that this drought is expected to continue “slowly worsening.”
Historical lows in Slovakia
The Danube’s flow just before Bratislava reached a historically low level of 725 cubic meters per second on Monday, according to the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, as numerous boats remain moored in the capital, unable to move.
“Never before in the history of observations, which date back to 1876, has such a low flow rate of the Danube been recorded at the Bratislava station” in July, according to the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
Less electricity in Serbia
Two hydroelectric power plants on the Danube are producing 30% less than usual.
The Serbian government has assured the public that the power supply is guaranteed, but asked the population to consume electricity “rationally.”
Although river transport has not been interrupted, barges are carrying only a portion of their cargo due to low river level, making operations unprofitable. EFE
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