TIRANA, June 29 (Xinhua) -- The high temperatures that have sweltered Albania in recent days have forced the authorities on Thursday to declare the situation an emergency, warning people to be cautious during this period, local media reported.
According to weather forecasts, Albania is facing high temperatures of up to 40 to 41 degrees Celsius in the coming days.
Albania's Civil Emergencies informed Thursday that three large fires had broken out on Thursday in different cities and called on citizens to be vigilant about fire prevention.
This summer is predicted to be a dry one with very high temperatures, Shemsi Prenci, head of Civil Emergencies told reporters, adding that the country had to be careful with drinking water.
Meanwhile, Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj told the press there were problems with the water supply that was affecting between 15 and 20 percent of the city. Veliaj gathered the Task Force for Natural Emergencies on Thursday to discuss the extreme hot weather conditions in the country.
The state of emergency will continue for up to two weeks and since Friday, the task force will monitor water misuse, sources from Civil Emergencies said. Enditem
