Fires, Blackouts, Deaths Follow In Wake Of Relentless Balkans Heatwave - AFP

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In southeastern Apulia on Tuesday, two people were burned alive in their car near the Adriatic coastal town of Peschici, while on Monday a pilot died when his Canadair crashed while he was fighting a fire in the mountainous Abruzzo. "The alert remains high across the country," fire services spokesman Luca Cari told AFP earlier. "We have doubled the personnel rotations to ensure a stronger presence ... and we have transferred personnel from the north of the country to the south to help us."

In Romania meanwhile, authorities said the heatwave-related death toll rose to 33 with three more people succumbing on Tuesday. In the capital Bucharest where temperatures reached 37 degrees Celsius (99 Fahrenheit) more than 170 people fainted in the street and ambulance services received a record of more than 1,200 calls over the past 24 hours, according to the Mediafax news agnecy.
Power flickered on and off in Bucharest where air conditioners were working overtime. Some 30 people died in a heatwave last month in Romania.

In Slovakia a lightning strike sparked a huge forest fire on Sunday that was still raging across about 10 hectares of the Slovensky Raj (Slovakian Paradise) national park in the east of the country.

Meanwhile the mercury reached 45 degrees Celsius (113 F) for the second consecutive day in parts of Greece, where a dozen forest fires were burning and up to five people have died from heat-related causes since Monday.

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http://www.terradaily.com/2007/070725160804.s5ukjntr.html

I've been waiting to say this, but since the forecast calls for at least 40-50% chance of rain through August 1, I've never seen a summer in South Texas this cool and with this much rain. Not in my 50+ years. I guess the effects of global warming this year aren't so bad here except it happens on weekends too.

but they are happening. It's the inconsistencies as I understand it, that are so perplexing to many people, that it's hard to understand. Some people think it's been wet and cool in summer = good. If it isn't the typical weather or NEAR it, regardless of temps or precipitation, its an effect. Thats why we get these ppl (not directed at you btw... for all I know you're a scientist lol) who think global warming really doesn't exist, cuz it's cool in the summer in some places, cooler than it's been for like, lets say fifty years.

The pull of the storms, brings floods to one area and drought to another.. heat to one and cool to another.. and it happens in extremes. Thats as far as my understanding goes...(simple as it is).

Side note: I still can't get over the fact my nephew in GA is being taught in science class (public school) that global warming does NOT exist.

and this is an extreme here in S. Texas this year, while the other extreme is happening in Europe. It's 110+ in Greece while I've only once in my life seen 110+ here in S Texas (like 1998 or so, I forget). OTOH, I don't ever remember such a cool summer here either. All within a span of less than 10 years.