Meteorologist warns of scorching week: Temperatures reach up to 40°C

During an interview for the “Now” segment with Esmeralda Muljan, meteorologist Lajda Porja warned that after a relatively normal start to July, the second half of the month will bring a significant rise in temperatures, which in some areas may reach up to 40 degrees Celsius.

According to her forecasts, the peak of the heatwave will be felt on Thursday and Friday, when the thermometer is expected to climb to 40 degrees in some regions. The areas where the most extreme temperatures are expected are Shkodra, Tirana, Elbasan, Berat, and Gjirokastra, while lower values will be recorded in mountainous areas, especially in the Korça region.

Porja stated that starting from Tuesday until Sunday, hot air masses originating from Africa will spread again over the Balkan Peninsula and consequently over Albania, causing a further increase in temperatures. “The entire remainder of July will be hot, except for brief moments when we might have a temporary weakening of the heat wave for 24 or 48 hours, with temperatures around 34-35 degrees. The other days will be quite hot. Then, on Saturday and Sunday, temperatures will experience a slight drop but will remain at high levels. Rainfall will be absent in most of the country, except for isolated showers that may occur on Thursday and Friday in the far north and northeast, specifically in the areas of Bajram Curri, Puka, Kukës, Peshkopi and isolated parts of Mat. On these days, the rest of the territory will keep morning clear skies, with passing clouds in the afternoons but no rain,” she detailed.

The expert explained that along the seacoast temperatures will reach up to 36 degrees, while in the southern riviera up to 37 degrees. Mountainous areas will experience around 32 degrees, and the Korça region will enjoy the coolest values of the week. Regarding the start of the week, she announced that today a maximum of 35-36 degrees is forecast, with mostly clear weather across all Albanian territory, light passing clouds and no risk of rain.

Referring to the situation in neighboring countries, Porja emphasized that Kosovo and North Macedonia currently have normal temperature values, with 29-30 degrees in Pristina and up to 32 degrees in Skopje. However, the heatwave will penetrate the region starting from Tuesday, with a one-day delay compared to Albania. “In Kosovo, temperatures are expected to climb to 34-35 degrees, while in Gjakova and Prizren up to 36 degrees. In Skopje, the peak is expected on Friday. Here too the weather will be mostly clear, but in the afternoons isolated showers may form in the border areas of Kosovo with Albania. From midweek the weather will become scorching for all Balkan countries, especially for Kosovo and North Macedonia, which traditionally have more moderate temperatures than Albania,” the meteorologist concluded.