July 24, 2022 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 24.07.2022, 19:00

Heatwave.
The heatwave will persist in Romania in the coming days. A yellow code warning
was issued for heat and a high temperature-humidity index until Thursday, in
the centre, east and west of the country. The temperature-humidity index is expected
to pass the critical level 80, causing extreme discomfort, while the highs are
forecast at between 33 and 37 degrees Celsius. An amber code for rising heat
will be in place on Tuesday in the south and west of the country, with highs of
37 to 40 degrees and lows of 20-22 degrees.

Water.
The river flow of the river Danube on the Romanian section will drop in the
coming days to 1,850 cubic metres per second, which is three times below the
July average of 5,350, according to a report published by hydrologists. Initial
forecasts did not expect this level to drop below 2,500. The river flows of
domestic rivers will remain relatively stable. The Danube’s river flow dropped
because of the drought and excessively high temperatures. The water reserve in
the 40 largest reservoir lakes in the country decreased compared with two weeks
ago to 3.3 billion cubic metres. Suppliers are imposing restrictions on the
amount of water delivered so as to have time to refill their reserves. The
local authorities and the County Inspectorates for Emergency Situations have
provided assistance to the population in the areas worst-hit by the drought,
especially in small towns and villages in eastern Romania, to ensure their
supplies of drinking water and water for the livestock.

Schengen.
In a statement on Romanian Border Police Day, prime minister Nicolae Ciucă said
the fact that the latest report on the state of the Schengen area urges the
European Council to adopt decisions allowing Romania to join this passport-free
area is recognition of the efforts made by this country to secure its borders. Ciucă
also said that the last few years have been a challenge for the border police
personnel, who have had to deal with unusually high border flows as a result of
the pandemic and, especially the Russian aggression against Ukraine. He added
that the government will continue efforts to secure the country’s borders in
keeping with the commitments made by Romania as a member of the European Union
and as a candidate to join the Schengen area.

Assistance. Two C-27 J Spartan aircraft of the Romanian Air Forces
conducted an assistance flight in an area affected by wildfires in Slovenia,
dispensing 10,000 litres of water. According to a statement from the Romanian defence
ministry, taking part in this international mission are 30 military, including
pilots, crew member, auxiliary staff, as well as an officer from the General
Inspectorate for Emergency Situations liaising with the Slovenian authorities. The
support granted by Romania follows Slovenia’s request under the European Civil
Protection Mechanism. (CM)