BUDAPEST/MALLAKASTER, Albania – The temperature in Austria climbed to a record high on Wednesday, while Hungarians curbed power use as the latest heat wave and drought took their toll on central and southern Europe.
Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent, has been ravaged by record-breaking heat and destructive wildfires this summer, with France and Spain particularly hard hit in recent weeks.
The focus of the heat wave has shifted farther east, with Italy placing its major cities under a red heat alert as temperatures climbed to around 40 degrees Celsius in some areas. In Albania, emergency services battled a wildfire in the southern region of Mallakaster.