Meanwhile in Czechia... 25/25
04.07.2025
No trespassing in Bohemian Switzerland at night
The administration of the Bohemian Switzerland National Park has issued a ban on entering the area of the national park at night. The reason for this is the high risk of fire due to drought and heat. The ban applies daily from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. as long as there is at least a medium risk of fire. If the fire risk increases further, you are only allowed to walk on marked paths. You can find the current regulations on the website of the National Park Administration (in Czech, but this can be solved technically).
Firefighters and park rangers had their first major operation near Jetřichovice on Monday when a fire broke out at Rudolfův kámen (Rudolf's Stone). Eleven fire department units and a helicopter helped to extinguish the fire, which covered an area of around 8,000 square meters.
Yesterday morning, numerous people in northern Bohemia called the fire department to report a possible forest fire due to the smell of smoke. However, this smoke came from the large fire in the Gohrischheide north of Zeithain and even extended as far as Liberec. The Czech media were therefore reassured and advised to keep the windows closed.
Blackout throughout the Czech Republic
Today, Friday, the Czech Republic was hit by a widespread blackout around midday, most severely in Prague and the north of the country. The blackout had a major impact on public transport, mobile communications and simple things like electronic payments. The fire department had to be called out in many cities to rescue people from stuck elevators.
The failed substations were all back in operation in the afternoon and the power supply was gradually being switched back on. The cause of the large-scale power outage has not yet been clarified. According to a company that operates the power grid, a top-level line that supplies the north and east of the country failed. According to the National Cyber and Information Security Agency, the power outage is not the result of a cyber attack.
D8 highway completely closed
As in April, the D8 highway just over the border has been completely closed for a week since Wednesday. The reason is the renovation of the tunnels on this stretch. Two different detour routes have been signposted. You can find all the details in our report from Tuesday. Another complete closure for a week will take place at the beginning of October.
Czech Republic experiences driest six months since 1961
The first half of the year has not been as dry as this year for 64 years. According to preliminary data, only 222 millimetres of precipitation have fallen since January, which corresponds to around 66 percent of the normal value from 1991 to 2020, reports the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. Even though it rained the most in the north and west, the regions did not differ greatly. February was the driest month, with only around a third of the usual amount of precipitation. The best month was June, but even then it was only 76 percent of the normal amount.
As a result, according to the Intersucho project, the Czech Republic is currently experiencing very high soil dryness. Over 80% of the country suffers from severe to extreme drought, while only a negligible part is not affected by drought. The few areas with low to moderate drought are mainly located in the north and west of the Czech Republic.
Czech Republic particularly climate change skeptical
According to a recent Eurobarometer survey, the Czech Republic is one of the three countries in the EU where climate change is seen as the least problematic. While an EU average of 85% of respondents think that climate change is a serious problem, only 67% in the Czech Republic, followed only by Romania (65%) and Estonia (60%). In Germany, 84% of respondents said the same. When it comes to support for the EU's goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2050, the Czech Republic is in second-last place with only 51% (ahead of Estonia with 46%). In Germany, 80% are in favor of this.
Small holidays in the Czech Republic
Tomorrow, July 5, is a public holiday in the Czech Republic, as is July 6. The former celebrates the arrival of the missionaries Cyril and Methodius in Moravia in 863, while the latter is dedicated - slightly macabrely - to the burning of Jan Hus at the stake in Constance in 1415. As both days fall on the weekend, our neighbors unfortunately cannot look forward to additional days off. As both are also so-called minor public holidays, on which all larger stores are also allowed to open, they are practically unnoticeable this year.
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