Heat wave stifles large swath of Europe

Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia

A relentless heat wave that gripped parts of Europe has sent temperatures soaring to record highs for several days, causing at least two deaths and prompting authorities to issue severe weather warnings.

“It is just too much,” real- estate agent Sasa Jovanovic, 52, said during an early morning walk in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, on Saturday. “Sometimes it feels as if I cannot breathe.”

The extreme heat stifling Serbia, Romania, Croatia and parts of Spain, France and Italy has fueled wildfires, damaged crops and strained energy and water supplies. Authorities in some areas issued traffic restrictions and banned outdoor work during the hottest part of the day.

In Slovenia, authorities reported last week the first “tropical night” at 4,920 feet in the mountains, meaning temperatures were higher than 68 degrees during the night.