A major power outage struck much of the Balkans on Friday as the southern European region experienced an early heat wave, with temperatures soaring up to 40 C (104 F). Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia, and Albania were all affected by the outage, leaving large parts of these countries without electricity.
The outage was described as a 'disturbance of regional proportion' by Montenegro's state power distribution company, with authorities still investigating the cause. Bosnia attributed the outage to problems in a regional distribution line, while Albania pointed to the extreme heat as the culprit.
The interconnected power grids in the region, established after the Balkan wars in the 1990s, were put to the test as the outage caused traffic jams in cities like Sarajevo and Split. Trams stopped running, and traffic lights went dark, leading to gridlock in various areas.
The extreme heat, originating from Africa and carrying sand particles that dimmed the skyline, prompted health warnings throughout the region. Citizens were advised to stay hydrated, avoid the sun between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., and take precautions against the high temperatures.
In response to the heat wave, emergency measures were imposed in North Macedonia, with authorities urging residents to stay cool and hydrated. Belgrade residents sought relief near the city's rivers, while calls were made for reduced working hours and increased availability of water resources.
Weather alerts were issued in Croatia, a popular tourism destination, as the heat wave was expected to peak before a change in weather over the weekend. Despite the region's familiarity with hot summers, the early onset of such extreme temperatures raised concerns among residents.
Experts have linked these extreme weather conditions to climate change, highlighting the need for proactive measures to mitigate the impact of heat waves and other climate-related events.
