An air temperature of 40°C was measured in the village of Dolne Plachtince (in the Banska Bystrica region) on Thursday afternoon. The Slovak Hydrometeorological Office reported that the temperature was maintained there for at least one hour. This was the third day in recorded history with such a high temperature in Slovakia. Previously, 40°C was measured on July 20, 2007, and August 8, 2013.
According to the water management company Bratislavska Vodarenska Spolocnost, drought and extremely hot weather this year have caused several problems regarding drinking water supplies for residents of an area in Western Slovakia. Problems have occurred, for example, in the vicinity of the town of Modra and the village of Bukova, where there is traditionally a problem with a lack of water in the public water pipeline. There is also a problem in Zahorie due to extreme drought and high water consumption.
The water management company has asked the mayors of the towns and villages concerned to inform their residents about impending problems. At the same time, the company recommends that people should refrain from filling their pools, washing their cars or watering their gardens with drinking water. "According to the weather forecast, the situation over the next few days will be critical. If no long-lasting rain appears, people should save water until the end of the summer," stressed the spokesperson for the water management company Peter Podstupka.
Ecologists see a long-term solution in working with water management in the country. People should do their best to keep rainwater in their surroundings and not let it drain away through sewers. They could, for example, build rainwater reservoirs, from which they could water their gardens, thereby saving drinking water.
Source: TASR
