Romania and Moldova grapple with extreme heat wave

A severe heat wave has engulfed Romania and neighboring Moldova, with temperatures climbing to 41 °C in parts of both countries. Red‑code alerts cover most of Romania, while Moldova expects similar extremes and later atmospheric instability and thunderstorms.

In Romania, the wave has overwhelmed emergency services: the Bucharest‑Ilfov ambulance service logged nearly 5,000 calls in 84 hours, 3,238 of which were classified as yellow or red emergencies. Hospital‑bound patients suffered dehydration, heat‑exhaustion and 36 severe fainting cases.

The extreme heat has also driven Romania’s electricity market to the highest price in Europe – a day‑ahead average of 1,171 lei/MWh (≈ 811 €/MWh) with a 15‑minute peak of 4,250 lei/MWh. Generation capacity is strained as solar output falls, wind turbines sit idle in calm conditions, and several thermal and nuclear units have been partially or fully halted.

Agricultural forecasts warn of moderate to strong soil‑moisture deficits affecting wheat and corn fields across many regions, while unusually warm conditions accelerate crop development. The national meteorological service expects the heat to persist through early July before temperatures modestly recede and the first showers appear.

Moldova’s forecast mirrors Romania’s, with southern areas projected to reach 41 °C, followed by a cooling trend and scattered thunderstorms later in the week.