News in brief for July 16: Top headlines for Czechia on Sunday

On Sunday morning, an unusual event took place in the center of Zlín at the Vizovice bus stop. Parents driving to the maternity hospital had to stop their car when the pregnant mother began to deliver. Thanks to the Masters of Rock festival, extra police officers were on patrol in the area and immediately intervened and helped the woman in childbirth.

The newborn, who was named Jakub, is healthy and his mother is recovering after giving birth. The parents are grateful for the help of the police and rescuers who helped them in such an unexpected situation.

After night rains, a high-risk warning for fires now only applies to the eastern half of the Czech Republic. Most of the country has seen a reduction in danger thanks to the rain, leading meteorologists to ease the warning. Moravia and Silesia could also experience a decrease in fire risk due to anticipated precipitation on Monday afternoon.

Previously, the entire Czech Republic was under a high-risk fire warning, but now only regions in the eastern half of the country, including all of Moravia, faces the elevated threat. A low-level warning remains in effect for the rest of the country.

Eduard Šalé, an eighteen-year-old ice hockey forward from the Czech Republic, has reportedly signed a three-year contract with the NHL team Seattle Kraken. Šalé, who was the highest drafted Czech pick this year, has become the second Czech to sign with an NHL team this summer.

According to capfriendly.com, Šalé will earn an average of $950,000 per year under the terms of the contract in addition to his signing bonus. Seattle selected Šalé in the first round of the draft as the 20th player overall.

Fans as well as Czech politicians congratulated Markéta Vondroušová on social media after her historic victory at Wimbledon on Saturday. President Petr Pavel, for example, told the 24-year-old athlete that he was proud of her.

"Unbelievable path to a historic victory at Wimbledon. Congratulations, Markéta. We are proud of you," the president wrote on his official Twitter account. "I congratulate Markéta Vondroušová on her amazing victory at Wimbledon," added Prime Minister Petr Fiala. "It's amazing what she was able to do as an unseeded player! Great representation of Czech tennis and the Czech Republic."

The Czech Republic, southern European countries, and the United States were hit by extreme heat on Saturday. Temperatures in the Czech Republic rose above 38 degrees Celsius in five places yesterday, making it the hottest day of the year the Czech Republic so far.

Meteorologists continue to warn of extreme heat, with temperatures expected to rise up to 34 degrees on Sunday, especially in the eastern portions of the country. Due to the hot and dry weather, there is a high risk of fires across the Czech Republic until further notice.

An extensive forest fire near Jetětice in the Písek district of the South Bohemian region has affected about 40 hectares, and firefighters are now working to extinguish the flames. It was originally reported as a grass and possibly field fire on Saturday, but firefighters ultimately discovered that the forest was burning.

The fire is not expected to spread, and firefighters hope to extinguish it in a matter of days. Five firefighters have been injured in the fire, but none of them required hospitalization. Three helicopters are helping to extinguish the fire. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are not yet known.

Extreme temperatures not only affect humans but also pose challenges for animals. While some species are adapted to high temperatures, polar bears as well as tropical animals require special attention to prevent overheating. Petr Velenský, the curator of breeding at Prague Zoo, told iDnes.cz how the zoo cares for animals during hot days.

Polar bears, accustomed to the cold Arctic conditions, are at risk of overheating. To combat this, Prague Zoo provides them with shade and access to cool water, including a pool with ice water for refreshing themselves. Even tropical animals need special care in extreme heat. While they are used to high temperatures, they can still suffer from overheating. The zoo ensures they have shade, cool water, and air-conditioned rooms or pools with cold water.

Hotels in the Czech Republic are experiencing a similar number of summer reservations as last year, with an average occupancy increasing slightly to 42.9 percent in July compared to 41.1 percent in July 2022. For August, hotel capacity is expected to be 24.6 percent, representing a 1.5 percentage point increase year-on-year. Last-minute bookings may still impact these figures.

Analysis by Previo, a provider of hotel reservation systems, also indicates an average price increase of 8.1 percent per bed per night, up to CZK 1,115 on average across Czech hotels. Hoteliers are more optimistic this year, expecting occupancy to surpass 60 percent during the summer season. Notably, spa towns in western Bohemia show significant year-on-year increases in occupancy.

As the Czech Republic experiences scorching temperatures, devices for making homemade ice cream and lemonade have become popular choices for cooling down. Merchants report a surge in interest for ice cream makers, soft drink machines, and ice makers, with sales rising by several tens of percent compared to last week or June.

Online retailers such as Mall.cz and Heureka.cz have seen an increase in orders for ice cream makers and ice makers, with a rise of 30 percent or more in interest. Additionally, garden hoses and sprinklers are seeing higher sales as people take measures to water their gardens.

The current heatwave in the Czech Republic is causing a slight increase in electricity consumption. People often rely on air conditioners and other cooling devices on hot days. Still, compared to the winter months, electricity consumption in the summer is still significantly lower.

Meteorologists warn that temperatures in the Czech Republic may rise to 37 degrees Celsius this weekend. This extreme heat may have the effect of further increasing electricity consumption, as people need to cool their homes and workplaces to a higher degree.