The National Meteorological Administration (ANM) issued scorching heat and thermal discomfort warnings on Wednesday, valid from Thursday across much of the country.

A code orange warning will be in force from 20 August at 10:00 to 21 August at 10:00, affecting Banat, western and southern Oltenia, southern Crisana and south-western Transylvania, where maximum temperatures will be particularly high, ranging from 35 to 39 degrees, with the highest values in the far west and south-west.

There will be scorching heat and severe thermal discomfort, while the temperature-humidity index will exceed the critical threshold of 80 units. In some areas, the night-time temperatures will be tropical, with minimums of 20 to 26 degrees.

The counties under the code orange warning are Olt, Dolj, Mehedinti, Caras-Severin, Hunedoara, Alba, Arad and Timis.

For the rest of the country, except for Constanta and Tulcea counties, a code yellow warning has been issued for the same period.

On Thursday, in Moldavia, Maramures, Muntenia, most of Transylvania, northern Oltenia and northern Crisana, maximum temperatures will be particularly high, generally ranging from 34 to 37 degrees. Large areas will experience heatwave conditions and thermal discomfort, while the temperature-humidity index will reach and slightly exceed the critical threshold of 80 units. In some areas, minimum temperatures will not fall below 20 degrees, resulting in a tropical night.

The National Meteorological Administration has also issued an advisory on particularly high temperatures and tropical nights, valid from Thursday at 10:00 until Monday, 24 August, at 10:00.

Over the coming days, the heatwave will spread and intensify across most of the country. Maximum temperatures will be particularly high, generally ranging from 34 to 39 degrees, with the highest values in the west and south-west.

There will be scorching heat conditions and severe thermal discomfort, while the temperature-humidity index will reach and exceed the critical threshold of 80 units across large areas.

In some areas, nights will become tropical, with minimum temperatures generally ranging from 20 to 23 degrees, while the highest values of 24 to 26 degrees are expected in the Western Hills. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Andreea Marinescu; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)