Hundreds dead as fierce heatwave wreaks devastation across Europe

[marmar]

A FIERCE heatwave across central and eastern Europe is being blamed for the deaths of hundreds of people, severe damage to vast swathes of crops and disruption to road and rail travel.

Hungary has issued the highest level of heat alert, urging children and elderly people to stay indoors. It ha started handing out bottles of water to pedestrians and drivers in the capital, Budapest, where temperatures have hovered around 35 degrees Celsius for several days.

Hungary has also now reduced the expected size of its agricultural harvest this year due to the intensely hot, dry weather, as have Germany and the Czech Republic.

For Romania and Ukraine, the heatwave has come on the heels of heavy rain and severe flooding in some areas.

The worst affected country is Russia, where more than 1,200 people drowned in June and almost 500 have drowned so far in July, many in rivers, ponds and reservoirs where swimming is banned, after drinking large amounts of alcohol. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0717/1224274900776.html

[Odin2005]

1. A few days ago a DUer was saying that A/C was evil and necessary.

he should tell that to these folks.

[madinmaryland]

9. ...

And that it should be taxed.

:eyes:

[scarletwoman]

2. I wonder how humanity will cope if heat waves like this become the norm... nt

[SunnySong]

3. Air conditioning? nt

[scarletwoman]

7. How does that help the crop losses? And what will fuel the energy production needed to power

those air conditioners? And how much infrastructure is in place for delivering the increased power load? How many Eastern Europeans even own air conditioners? How many could even afford one?

If such heat waves become the new "normal" then it's going to require huge projects to design and retrofit urban structures, energy production, resource allocation, and agricultural practices to cope.

sw

[SunnySong]

4. Also I'm nopt sure that drinking and drowning should really count as "heatwave deaths"

It's like blaming winter for suicides.

[virgogal]

8. I agree----and alcohol can dehydrate too.

[SpiralHawk]

5. And republicons remain in denial

But what the Hell, even as they wear diapers and prance around with oiled-up B & D rentboys while they slug back cocktails and prescription drugs, they love to wag their sanctimonious fingers at everyone else for not embracing their phony 'Republicon Family Values.'

One can hardly expect reality to make a dent in their Land of Deviant Republicon Illusion, as they suck up daily doses of mind rotting kool aid from Fox and DraftDodger Limbaugh, and the other overpaid republicorporate propaganda pimps.

[femrap]

6. A drought can turn a Recession

into a Depression very easily.

I hate to see that crops are being damaged.