Extreme heat puts more than half of Romania under code orange alerts

Romanian authorities issued code orange heat wave warnings Tuesday for more than half of the country, with temperatures forecast to reach 39C (102.2F) over the next two days.

The first warning will remain in force from Tuesday morning until 10 am local time (0700GMT) Wednesday, according to the National Meteorological Administration.

It covers Maramures, southern Banat, most of Transylvania, northeastern Moldavia, and southwestern Oltenia, Romania's national news agency reported.

Maximum temperatures in these regions are expected to range from 35C to 39C, with the highest readings forecast in the counties of Caras-Severin, Mehedinti, and Dolj.

Thermal discomfort will remain high, while the temperature-humidity index is expected to exceed the critical threshold of 80 units.

Some areas will also experience tropical nights, with minimum temperatures ranging between 20C and 24C. The highest nighttime readings are expected in the Banat Hills.

A second code orange warning will take effect Wednesday morning and remain in place until Thursday morning, covering parts of Moldavia and Oltenia, most of Transylvania, and southwestern and central Muntenia.

Daytime temperatures in the affected areas are forecast to range between 35C and 38C, while nighttime lows are again expected to remain between 20C and 24C in some locations.

The warnings follow nationwide heat wave and thermal discomfort alerts issued for Tuesday and Wednesday, with temperatures in parts of Romania previously forecast to climb as high as 41C.