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Euro Heat Wave Kills Hundreds

Most victims are elderly; Hungary hit hardest

By Colleen Barry,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 25, 2007 5:55 AM CDT
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(Newser) – More than 500 people have died in the last week in the heat wave gripping central Europe. Most of the victims lived in Hungary, with some casualties reported in nearby Romania, the BBC reports. The elderly have been hardest hit. Temperatures in some areas have reached 107 degrees; the intense heat has already destroyed almost a third of Serbia's harvest.

Southeast Europe is overwhelmed, too. Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are battling wildfires, and temperatures in Bulgaria soared to 113 Monday. In the north, unusually heavy rains have triggered widespread flooding. The chaotic weather has been linked to a shift in the jet stream, though some fear it may be due to global warming.

People cool off at a swimming pool by the Tiber River in downtown Rome, Thursday, July 19, 2007. The heatwave that is sweeping across Italy persisted on Thursday and is expected to continue over the weekend. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
People cool off at a swimming pool by the Tiber River in downtown Rome, Thursday, July 19, 2007. The heatwave that is sweeping across Italy persisted on Thursday and is expected to continue over the weekend....   (Associated Press)
Mexican gymnasts, sisters Marifer, Daniela and Paola Corona perform cartwheels in a fountain near the Ara Pacis museum, Thursday, July 19, 2007. The heatwave that is sweeping across Italy persisted on Thursday and is expected to continue over the weekend. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Mexican gymnasts, sisters Marifer, Daniela and Paola Corona perform cartwheels in a fountain near the Ara Pacis museum, Thursday, July 19, 2007. The heatwave that is sweeping across Italy persisted on...   (Associated Press)
An army officer wipes the face of a Evzones, a member of the presidential guard, during a heatwave ahead of a visit by Qatar's |Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani to Athens, Wednesday, June 20, 2007. Temperatures in Greece are expected to reach over 42 degrees Celsius, or 107 Fahrenheit,...
An army officer wipes the face of a Evzones, a member of the presidential guard, during a heatwave ahead of a visit by Qatar's |Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani to Athens, Wednesday, June 20, 2007....   (Associated Press)
Immigrant women stand outside of a kiosk at Solomou square during a very hot day in central Nicosia, Cyprus, on Wednesday, July 25, 2007. Cyprus meteorological Office forecast heavy thunderstorms as the heatwave eased, after temperatures had soared to 41 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit). (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Immigrant women stand outside of a kiosk at Solomou square during a very hot day in central Nicosia, Cyprus, on Wednesday, July 25, 2007. Cyprus meteorological Office forecast heavy thunderstorms as the...   (Associated Press)
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More details of the situation in Hungary
Times (UK)

A roundup of the meteorological turmoil across Europe
Reuters

 
Serbia • elderly • global warming • Europe • heat wave • Bulgaria • jet stream • Hungary • Macedonia

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