mercredi 4 juillet 2007

 

EXEMPLE D'ARTICLE : Record de température en Bulgarie

Record-high temperatures measured in Bulgaria
09:00 Mon 02 Jul 2007 - Petar Kostadinov

Bulgaria has said goodbye to one of the hottest weeks ever in the country’s history. After the rainy and cool May, June surprised everyone with the incredibly high daily temperatures of close to 40 degrees centigrade which resulted in people jamming hospitals and medical emergency centres, seeking help. On June 23 meteorologists measured record-high temperatures in a number of cities, including Veliko Turnovo, Sofia, Bourgas and Pleven. The soaring temperatures on June 23 were followed by hailstorms mainly in the north seaside. In Varna, a severe hailstorm hit the region around St Konstantin and Elena summer resort but spared the town.

The data of National institute of Meteorology and Hydrology with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (NMHBAS), said that Lovech (central Bulgaria) was the hottest place on June 23 at a record 39.9°C. The temperature in Bourgas was 39.6°C . The previous temperature record on this date, June 23, was 33°C , measured in 1998. The temperature measured at 3pm local time in Veliko Turnovo (northern Bulgaria) was 39.4°C . The day’s high in Rousse (on the Danube) was also 39.4°C , in Sandanski (southern Bulgaria) it was 39.2°C . In Pleven (northern Bulgaria) the thermometers reached 38.3°C . Before this year, the highest temperature there on June 23 was 36.5°C , measured in 1993. The temperature in Sofia was 35.2°C . The previous record, measured in 1993, was 34.3° C . Complaints were soon to follow. The unseasonable heat in the Black Sea city of Bourgas was followed by intense wind of more than 100km/h and torrential rain. The gust flipped over a circus tent during performance. There were more than 600 people in the audience but there were no reports of serious injuries.

On June 25 in Sofia alone 16 people collapsed because of the heat. All emergency calls were received over an eight-hour time span. Close to 15 people suffered from high blood pressure in Vidin on the Danube. In Bourgas the municipality launched an initiative to provide people with free mineral water as a way to escape the sun’s impact.

The intense heat affected business in the country as well. It forced some municipalities to issue a ban against heavy commercial vehicles using the roads during the day from 10am till 8pm. The ban was enforced in Sofia on June 25. The reason given was that the top layer of the roads was overheated and could easily be damaged by the heavy vehicles. The heat was so strong that the City Transport company had to start pouring water on the rails of the the city trams in order to prevent the rails from bending. A day later the same ban was enforced for the entire road network across country and drivers of heavy commercials vehicles were asked to stop for the day and wait for the cooler evening hours.

The state-owned Railways Infrastructure company extended working hours on June 15 for security reasons. This was to allow 24-hour monitoring of railway infrastructure, the company’s media office said. In many towns municipal workers worked only half the day because of the heat. On June 25 the temperatures in Blagoevgrad reached an absolute record of 41° C which led to a change in the daily schedule of the city’s schools.

June 26 temperatures reached new highs, making the day the hottest of the week. In Sliven central Bulgaria the temperature was almost 40° C , reaching 39.5° C . People were asked to stay indoors during lunch time when the heat was most intense.

Predictably the sales of fans, air condition systems, ice cream, soft drinks and beer have gone up throughout the country. Ice cream was the target of two young boys in Plovdiv who were arrested by the police as they were trying to break a window of an ice cream shop.

The future looks brighter, or should that be cooler, according to Latin Latinov, leading scientists from NMHBAS and head of the Prognosis department. “The hottest days should be over with this week,” Latinov told The Sofia Echo. “In the next 30 days there will be hot days but the temperatures will be normal for the season of between 28° C and 33° C ,” Latinov said. “Of course there can always be surprises but I doubt it." As for rain, no one need worry about their summer holiday as Latinov said that continuous rain was unlikely. “There will be rainy days but this is not unusual for this time of the year, however I do not expect rains that will cause floods as they did two year ago,” Latinov said.

The hot weather affected other Balkan countries as well. Unlike Bulgaria, the heat claimed victims in Romania and Serbia. More than 30 people died because of the heat. A total of 22 people died in Romania mainly after heart attacks caused by the record high temperatures.

Two people, aged 14 and 21, drowned in pools in Romania’s southern town of Kalarash while trying to get cool in the summer heat. Medics in Serbia announced that at least seven people had died in the past few days because of the sweltering heat. In Macedonia temperatures reached 40°C and authorities reported numerous emergency calls by elderly people, who were suffering from heart and respiratory diseases.

Greece’s civil defence and emergency services were placed on high alert as of June 20 as the season’s first heat wave hit the country. At the same time Greek municipalities started opening air-conditioned facilities around the clock to residents.

Two elderly Greeks have died as a result of a heat wave that pushed temperatures up to 46°C in parts of the country, Greece’s Health Ministry said on June 26.

The ministry said two pensioners aged 84 and 76 died in Aegio, in southern Greece, and in the central city of Larissa. Hospitals and municipal facilities are on alert around the country, while other state-run public services closed early at noon on June 27-28.

The Greek national electricity consumption exceeded 10 000 megawatts on June 26, fuelled by heavy air conditioning use, causing limited power outages in greater Athens, the northern city of Thessaloniki and several Greek islands. The Greek government urged the public to avoid unnecessary energy consumption but insisted the national grid had been adequately strengthened to avoid widespread outages the private Antenna television said.

Libellés :


Commentaires: Enregistrer un commentaire

Abonnement Publier les commentaires [Atom]





<< Accueil

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

Abonnement Articles [Atom]