Snažna oluja pogodila Sloveniju, temperature pale za 10 stupnjeva. Na snazi najviši stupanj upozorenja

A powerful thunderstorm swept over Slovenia, causing temperatures to drop by up to 10 degrees Celsius in some areas. The extreme heatwave, which had been gripping much of the country, saw its intensity temporarily reduced by the sudden downpour. However, the majority of Slovenia still faces dangerously high temperatures, with parts of the country recording more than 35 degrees Celsius for the eighth consecutive day. In Ljubljana, this has broken the previous record set in August 2013. According to data from the Slovenian Meteorological Office, the heatwave is expected to continue through today and tomorrow, with daytime temperatures likely to exceed 35 degrees again. The cooling effect is anticipated to arrive on Thursday, though it will not last long. By Saturday, the weather forecast indicates a return to rising temperatures. The storm activity, initially concentrated around the area between Rakovnik and Logatec, brought heavy rainfall and possible hail, leading to a noticeable drop in temperatures in certain regions. In Idrija, for instance, the temperature fell sharply to just 23 degrees Celsius, while other parts of the country remained above 35 degrees. The storm system, described as a “thermal thunderstorm,” was accompanied by intense rainfalls, with 23 millimeters recorded in the last hour near the Svisčaki region. The storm activity is expected to gradually diminish over the coming hours. In some areas, particularly in western Slovenia, the storms have led to localized cooling, with temperatures dropping to as low as 22 degrees in Logatec and 23 degrees in Idrija. Meanwhile, in eastern and southern parts of the country, temperatures remain between 37 and 39 degrees Celsius. The Slovenian Meteorological Office has issued the highest level of warning for heat-related conditions across nearly the entire country. This includes a red alert for extreme heat in many regions, with a very high risk of wildfires in parts of the Primorska region. The agency has also warned of potential thunderstorms in several areas, including Bovc, Gorenjska, and the Gornja Savska Valley, as well as in Ljubljana and the Notranjska region. Despite the temporary relief from the storm, the overall heat stress remains severe, prompting officials to advise citizens to avoid peak heat hours, stay hydrated, and take special care of vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and individuals with chronic illnesses. In addition to the dramatic temperature drops in specific locations, meteorologists have noted an unusual phenomenon, a tropical night recorded at an elevation of 1,495 meters above sea level in Rogel. A tropical night is defined as a period during which the temperature does not fall below 20 degrees Celsius between 10 PM and 10 AM. While such nights are common along the coast and in warmer regions, they are rare at higher altitudes. In Rogel, the temperature dropped only to 21 degrees, raising concerns among experts who suggest there could be two consecutive instances of this phenomenon this year. The extreme heatwave affecting Slovenia is part of a broader pattern of unprecedented summer temperatures across southern and central Europe. Similar conditions have been observed in neighboring countries, including Austria and Hungary, where power consumption has decreased due to efforts to reduce strain on energy grids. In Austria, temperatures reached a record high of 41.2 degrees Celsius in the city of Bad Deutsch-Altenburg, surpassing the previous record of 41.0 degrees set in Vienna the day before. In Hungary, the closure of the sole nuclear power plant due to critically low river levels has triggered an energy crisis, pushing grid capacity to its limits. Meanwhile, the European continent continues to experience one of its hottest summers on record, with devastating wildfires reported in France and Spain. In Italy, major cities have issued red alerts for heat, with temperatures reaching close to 40 degrees Celsius in some areas. In Albania, emergency services have fought forest fires in the southern region of Mallakaster. Even the Vatican has taken steps to mitigate the effects of the heat, moving its first weekly general audience of Pope Francis from St. Peter’s Square to an indoor venue following a heatwave-induced pause in public activities.