Posted on 06/22/2007 4:06:52 PM PDT by Grzegorz 246
Bucharest - Persistent heat of 35 degrees celsius has caused 19 deaths in Romania by Friday morning, but the worst was yet to come, meteorologists and medical services warned. The people who succumbed to the heat were mostly older or chronically ill people, according to the health ministry. In Bucharest alone 143 people passed out in the searing heat on the streets.
After hovering around mid-30's since the start of the week, the temperature was expected to rise to 38 in the coming days. The heat in the streets is already higher, since the temperature is measured in the shade and away from the concrete and asphalt.
Of the 41 Romanian districts, 23 have declared emergency measures to deal with the heat and help people with health problems.
Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu Popescu threatened dismissal to all local officials who failed to take steps such as to erect tents on the streets for emergency treatment and rehydration of stricken pedestrians.
The heatwave has been accompanied by a drought which has dried out the artesian wells in 16 municipalities, where drinking water had to be brought to the population in cisterns.
The interior ministry said that it could ban the watering of gardens and farms if the situation remains grave.
The heatwave has also gripped other Balkan countries, which, unlike Romania, have had no formal heat alerts, despite temperatures higher than 35 degrees or more.
An increased number of emergency calls was reported across the region, in Serbia and Kosovo, Croatia, Bosnia, Albania and Macedonia.
In Albania, the ATA news agency said that two people succumbed to the heat in the Elbasan in the south.
In Croatia the parliament speaker, Vladimir Seks, had to postpone scheduled meetings because of his heart condition. The Adriatic Sea was warmed to an unseasonable 26 degrees at Split.
The Black Sea waters along the Bulgarian coast were also warmer than usual, reaching 25 degrees.
Im Banja Luka, in northern Bosnia, the temperature reached 41 degrees on Thursday, local reports said.
You know, folks in Europe should start drinking iced, sweet tea. I have to go out and mow the yard with temperatures that high or higher. Drink plenty of cold liquids, wear a straw hat, and you will be fine.
Sorry, but I'm not impressed by that, either.
The 700+ dead were impressed enough for everyone.
Gosh, media never report any positive stories from Romania...
Hot here, too. 65 today. Must have been over 77 two days ago.
35 C isn’t that hot...it gets up to 120 F in Phoenix and nobody dies. I guess the Romanians just aren’t used to high heat.
No we’re not.First of all we live in a different country where the weather is not stable and we can’t get used to high or low temperatures due to that change,in the summertime there are over 30 degrees Celsius in the winter time it can go lower than -20 degrees Celsius.Most of you are probably from states with warmer weather so you’re used to it.You can afford a good A/C,well guess what!Here we don’t use A/C.In the local markets the temperatures are higher than 45 degrees Celsius!To this temperature add the huge crowd and the smoke from the cars(Romania is one of the countries with the highest number of cars in Europe)and you’ll see what I mean.And no,there are no A/C in the local markets or in the buses or in the local shops or anywhere for that matter.There is just not enough air to breathe!You have to come here to understand,you live in a better environment than we do so it’s hard for you to understand why the heat is killing us.Like I said you have to come here to see what I mean.
And no,Romania isn’t a sad country as some of you might think,we unlike the U.S. don’t have kids coming with guns at school and shooting everybody for fun.And we certainly don’t have T.V. channels dedicated to pornography (like Private Blue for instance).And we are smarter than the Americans in every way,here you’ll find the best hackers the best teachers the best mathmaticians,the best of the best.Don’t forget that the kid who hacked NASA is a Romanian.The person who said that our country is poor and controlled by corrupted politicians is obviously off-topic(we’re talking about the weather,hello?) and the only explanation is that she-he hates Romania,if she-he’s Hungarian as I suspect she-he is than no wonder!Hungary’s been giving us a bad reputation for ages!So please next time you hear about Romania and other Eastern countries please,remember you’re talking about a different continent.Try and think differently.Thank you for your time.
Funny you mention the 1995 Chicago Heat Wave.
How come nobody was going around blaming Bill Clinton for the deaths, like everyone piled on President Bush for Katrina?
I suspect many of the deaths in Chicago were from blacks, where was the “Bill Clinton does care about black people”?
If anyone needs a definition of “Ugly American,” look no further than this thread.
First of all we’ve been under the communist regime for 50 years.50 years of communism leave some marks on a country’s economy.We’ve been democratic for 18 years.We’re recovering from this bad economy.We’re making progress.Don’t tell me you can recover from a bad system that lasted 50 years just like that!
Secondly the gypsie issue is quite irrelevantSo?We have a minority living here that commits crimes..and?Doesn’t America have its bad minorities?What about the Mexicans who rob and steal?What do you have to say about that?
And lastly,about the bribe thingie.I seriously doubt America is imune to it.What?You can give bribe only in Romania?PLEASE!This happens everywhere.
I really dunno what’s so interesting about a country where kids come with guns at school (btw,how did the kiddies get the guns?Isn’t it illegal to sell guns to kids?)and decorate the floor with the brains of their collegues and teachers.I also don’t understand what’s so good about a country that accepts the satanic church (Seriously you people are sick!Sick!Sick!)or where every idiot has the right to free speech.Where did AIDS appear for the first time?AMERICA!Which country is responsible for having left Eastern Europe in the hands of the communists?AMERICA!Which country has the fattest population and the unhealthiest food in the world?AMERICA!
Stop saying Romania is bad and America is good.You left Romania,good for you.Stop thinking us,the ones who you left behind,are dumber than you are O.K. mister American?If you don’t like Romania go to England,I’m sure the people are better there.We don’t want the likes of you,we don’t need you,we don’t miss you,stay there with Sam and Bill and spend your life watching baseball games or Private Blue and leave us with our Estern way of life O.K. mister Red White and Blue?I don’t care if America is your home,just don’t throw *censored* at mine,just shut up and mind your own home and we’ll be good neighbours (Romanian proverb).
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