Extreme Heat Dries Up Lake in Serbia: First Time in History

An abnormal heat wave continues to persist in the Balkans, particularly in Serbia, where hot temperatures have dried up the salt lake Rusanda for the first time in history.

This was reported by Reuters.

This week's temperatures in the Balkans have been very high, with temperatures of around 39 degrees Celsius expected in most countries in the region, including Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia.

Due to the heat in Serbia's northern province of Vojvodina, the Rusanda salt lake, which contains therapeutic mud, has dried up for the first time in history, locals said.

On Wednesday, the Serbian Public Health Institute announced dangerous conditions in 10 municipalities.

On 16 July, Belgrade recorded the hottest day on record - 38.4 degrees Celsius. In several coastal resorts in Croatia, the water temperature in the Adriatic Sea was at a record 29.5 degrees Celsius.

This week, the EU has activated its Civil Protection Mechanism in response to urgent requests for help in fighting severe forest fires in North Macedonia and Bulgaria, and Estonia will send two rescue teams to Spain for the first time.

And Greece has restricted tourist access to the world-famous Acropolis from noon to 5pm due to the extreme heat.

As The Gaze previously reported, this year's June was the hottest on record in Europe.