Temperatures exceeded 38°C across much of Slovakia on Monday, prompting the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMU) to issue its highest, third-level heat warning. The alert was in effect from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., SHMU said on its website.
The third-level warning covered the entire Bratislava, Nitra and Trnava regions, most of the Banská Bystrica, Trenčín and Košice regions, as well as the districts of Humenné, Prešov, Snina and Vranov nad Topľou in the Prešov region.
Train services across Slovakia may face delays after railway infrastructure manager ŽSR introduced precautionary speed restrictions because of the extreme heat. In areas covered by the Level 3 heat warning, train speeds are limited to 80 km/h between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Bratislava also recorded its highest-ever daily minimum temperature. At the Koliba weather station, the temperature did not fall below 26.3°C overnight into Saturday, according to SHMU. The previous record of 24.8°C was set on 4 August 2017.
The night was particularly warm in southwestern Slovakia, especially in the Bratislava area, while other parts of the country experienced much larger differences between daytime and overnight temperatures.
Prolonged drought, extreme heat and increased water consumption have also caused drinking water shortages in the villages of Mojmírovce and Svetoplukovo in the Nitra region. The Water Management Company (VSS) has urged residents to use drinking water only for essential purposes until further notice. The restrictions mainly apply to watering gardens and lawns, filling swimming pools, washing cars and other non-essential uses.
Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) expressed solidarity with people working in extreme temperatures during a visit to road workers on the D2 motorway on Saturday. He thanked employers who comply with legal requirements for protecting workers in high temperatures and said the current legislation is adequate.
Source: TASR
