The African heatwave will cause temperatures in Albania to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in the coming days.

Experts from the Institute of Geosciences state that the country is under the influence of the African anticyclone, which will result in three hot days.

“We expect very high temperatures, especially on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, reaching 40 to 41 degrees in cities like Tirana, Fier, Shkodra, and the entire western lowlands. Regarding minimum temperatures, we expect them to be around 22-23 degrees, mainly in the western lowlands, while in mountainous areas they may reach 16 or 15 degrees,” Institute of Geosciences expert Anira Gjoni tells Euronews Albania.

The extreme heat is accompanied by a risk of wildfires, so experts urge caution.

“We need to be very careful about the spread of forest fires, which is one of the natural hazards associated with this hot season,” Gjoni further explains.

According to experts, such high temperatures are normal for July, which is the hottest month of the year, but their frequency and prolonged duration are not normal.

“We are experiencing these heatwaves much more frequently now. While in the past they occurred once every 5 or 7 years, in 2022 we had three heatwaves lasting for 7 days each, practically the entire month of July has been under the influence of very high temperatures,” concludes Gjoni.

This is the first African heatwave Albania is experiencing in the summer season, and predictions indicate more hot days to come.