Mercury to Exceed 35 Degrees for Ninth Day in a Row

Slovenia is enduring its ninth consecutive day with temperatures surpassing 35 degrees Celsius, marking a record-breaking heatwave. The national weather agency, Arso, has issued red warnings for heat stress across most of the country, with similar alerts for fire risk.

The heatwave began last Tuesday in western Slovenia and spread east the following day. While a brief respite with local showers and thunderstorms is forecast for Friday, bringing cooler temperatures, this relief will be short-lived. Temperatures are predicted to climb again from Saturday onwards, though they are not expected to exceed 35 degrees Celsius.

This prolonged period of extreme heat has intensified drought conditions nationwide. In some northeastern areas, authorities have already banned the use of drinking water for non-essential purposes to ensure supply. Fire risk remains high, with very high alerts for the Primorska region and high alerts elsewhere.

Record nighttime temperatures have also been observed. On Rogla, at an altitude of 1495 meters, the temperature did not drop below 21 degrees Celsius overnight on Tuesday. This follows a record set in Ljubljana, where temperatures exceeded 35 degrees Celsius for eight consecutive days, surpassing the previous record from August 2013.