site.btaSouthern Romania Suffers Heat Wave

With temperatures at and above 40 degrees Celsius, southern Romania is like the Sahara these days, writes Digi24 in an elaboration on the topic, comparing the Oltenia region to a desert.

It has not rained in the region for three months. Some 1,000 hectares of arable land are lost there annually. Experts warn that due to climate change, in 80-100 years the region will completely dry up and most of the fields there could turn into sand dunes. The consequences will be catastrophic for agriculture and local ecosystems. Almost one million hectares are threatened.

The first effects are already visible in the Dolj county, where more than 100,000 hectares have become desert. Under the scorching sun, locals also risk their health while watering their crops.

“If we don't stay in the field, the crows will finish everything,” Dolj County locals told Digi24. They explain that they can no longer farm as they cannot find moisture in the soil even at a depth of 25 metres.

“In the afternoon the sand reaches a temperature of almost 70 degrees Celsius. No plant can withstand this temperature. I don't know what we could do in the future,” said Sorin Sandu, mayor of the municipality of Calarasi.

Against this backdrop, a yellow and an orange code for dangerous heat are also in force in Romania on Thursday. It is expected to be the hottest in Oltenia, according to the National Meteorology Service.