Europe heatwave strains energy and transport as Italy raises alert
Italy puts all 27 monitored cities on its highest heat alert as drought and low river levels disrupt power generation and freight across Europe
- Italy has placed all 27 of its monitored cities under the highest-level "red alert" due to the severe heatwave posing a serious health risk.
- The heatwave and associated drought are causing record-low river levels, particularly on the Danube, which limits the water available to cool nuclear power stations.
- This strain has forced countries like Hungary and Romania to shut down or limit operations at nuclear reactors, severely pressuring their electricity supplies.
- In response to the power shortages, governments are implementing energy-saving measures, such as reducing public lighting, while Moldova has warned of potential rolling blackouts.
A severe heatwave is putting growing pressure on power supplies, waterways and transport networks across Europe, with Italy placing every city in its national heat-health monitoring system under the highest alert and drought forcing emergency measures along the Danube.
Italy took the unprecedented step on Thursday (August 6) of putting all 27 monitored cities on its Level 3 red heat alert, which signals prolonged high temperatures capable of posing a serious health risk to the general population. The warning stretched from Palermo in Sicily to Bolzano in the north.
Temperatures exceeded 40°C in several parts of Emilia-Romagna, reaching 42.8°C at Bagnacavallo near Ravenna. In Assisi, volunteers sprayed pilgrims with water as Pope Leo visited to mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis, while tourists in Rome used umbrellas for shade and cooled themselves at the city’s fountains.
Europe has experienced repeated episodes of record heat and destructive wildfires this summer, with France and Spain among the countries hit particularly hard in recent weeks. The continent is warming faster than any other, with temperatures rising at more than twice the global average over the past three decades, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization.
The European Union is pressing member states to spend more on reducing wildfire risks. Experts cited by Reuters estimate that the economic cost of this summer’s fires has already exceeded €15 billion.
Bulgaria became the latest EU country to face a major blaze on Thursday. Wind carried flames across the Trakia motorway about 70 kilometres southeast of Sofia, forcing authorities to close the main highway in both directions.
Low Danube levels squeeze electricity supplies
The heatwave is creating a second problem in central and eastern Europe as drought pushes river levels lower and limits the water available to cool power stations.
Hungary has switched off decorative and other non-essential lighting at state institutions during the night, including parliament, much of Buda Castle and the Chain Bridge.
Record-low water levels on the Danube have forced Hungary to largely shut down its only nuclear power station, which relies on river water for cooling, putting the country’s electricity system under heavy pressure.
Romania has gone further in an attempt to keep its remaining nuclear reactor operating.
Authorities plan to sink four barges loaded with rocks into the Danube to form a barrier that would redirect water towards the Cernavoda nuclear plant. One of its two reactors has already been shut because of the low water level.
The Danube’s flow in Romania fell to a record low of about 1,400 cubic metres per second on Thursday, around one-third of its normal August level. Officials estimate that the barge operation could extend the remaining reactor’s operating window from five or six days to nine or 10 days.
Bucharest has meanwhile reduced street-light intensity by one-third and switched off night-time lighting at major buildings and museums to conserve electricity.
Moldova warns of possible rolling blackouts
Electricity supplies are also tight in neighbouring Moldova, where temperatures have risen above 38°C.
Prime Minister Vasile Tofan has urged households and businesses to reduce power consumption, warning that rolling blackouts could be required if demand remains high. Ukraine has been unable to supply electricity at previously agreed rates, while Romania is also struggling to provide additional power during peak periods.
The strain reflects how the heatwave is affecting both sides of the electricity equation: hot weather is driving demand higher while drought and warm, shallow rivers are restricting nuclear and hydropower production.
Romania’s two Cernavoda reactors normally provide about one-fifth of the country’s electricity, while hydropower generation has also been hit by drought. Similar conditions across neighbouring countries have limited Romania’s ability to rely on imported power.
Rhine shipping hit by shallow water
Falling river levels are also disrupting freight in Germany.
Cargo vessels on the Rhine have been forced to operate with reduced loads because of shallow water, requiring goods to be spread among more ships and raising transport costs.
At particularly shallow sections of the river, vessels have recently been able to carry only a fraction of their normal loads. Tanker-barge freight rates between Rotterdam and Karlsruhe had risen to about €60-€70 per tonne from around €45 at the end of June, according to commodity traders.
The Rhine is one of Europe’s main inland transport arteries, carrying commodities including grain, minerals, ores, coal and petroleum products.
The combination of extreme heat and depleted rivers is therefore spreading the impact of Europe’s summer weather beyond public health, reaching power generation, industrial supply chains and transport networks across the continent.
