Montenegro was plunged into darkness after an issue with the country’s power distribution system, while similar problems were reported in Croatia, Bosnia and Albania
A massive power cut has swept across the Balkans as the region grapples with a heatwave that’s seen temperatures rocket to 40C.
Montenegro was plunged into darkness after an issue with the country’s power distribution system, while similar problems were reported in Croatia, Bosnia and Albania. Nada Pavicevic, a spokeswoman for Montenegro’s state power distribution company, described the outage as a “disturbance of regional proportion,” adding that authorities were still investigating the cause. The exact reason for such a widespread blackout remains unclear.
Bosnia’s state power company blamed the outage on issues with a regional distribution line, while Albania’s state power company pointed to the “extreme heat” as the culprit. Montenegro, Croatia and Albania, all of which share the Adriatic Sea coastline, have interconnected power grids that have remained linked since the Balkan wars in the 1990s.
In Sarajevo, Bosnia’s capital, the power cut led to traffic chaos as trams halted and traffic lights failed. Similar gridlock was reported in the Adriatic port of Split. The power failure, which occurred just after midday on Friday, came as authorities across the region urged people to take precautions against the scorching heat, advising them to stay hydrated and avoid direct sunlight.
“Don’t stay in the sun between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.,” cautioned Serbia’s Public Health Institute, advising citizens to carry a bottle of water if they must venture out. The scorching heatwave sweeping across the region this week is said to have originated from Africa, bringing with it sand particles that formed a cloud-like layer, casting a haze over the skyline.
Urban areas bore the brunt of the blistering heat, with concrete continuing to radiate heat well into the evening, and nights providing little relief as temperatures stubbornly stayed above 20 C (68 F). While hot summers are not uncommon in the Balkans, such soaring temperatures in mid-June are unusual, leading to weather alerts and warnings being issued.
Earlier this week, North Macedonia declared emergency measures until Sunday, when the intense heat is expected to subside. Belgrade resident Milos Jeftovic has been heeding the advice, seeking solace near the Serbian capital’s two rivers whenever possible. He suggested that authorities should have shortened working hours and stationed water tankers on city streets.
“Personally, I don’t have a problem … but this is not OK, temperatures are above acceptable (levels),” Jeftovic remarked. Neighbouring Croatia, a popular tourist destination, also issued weather warnings, with the heatwave expected to reach its peak on Friday before a change in weather over the weekend could bring storms.
Montenegrin state broadcaster RTCG reported that while Podgorica locals are no strangers to scorching highs, residents griped that the swelter shook the city’s calm too soon. A resident vented to the channel, lamenting: “I really don’t know what we are going to do.”
Specialists are flagging climate change as a catalyst for these severe weather swings.
