Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/551192
2 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 5 AUGUST 2015 News Hot weather across Europe expected to trigger summer storms Some locations such as Prague, Berlin and Warsaw are expected to approach monthly and all- time record highs during the second half of this week EUROPE is bracing itself for more hot weather this week, which could trigger summer storms across the mainland. AccuWeather reports that an- other round of scorching heat is impacting millions of people from Spain to Germany and Poland. While some brief relief is possible in France and Germany, extreme heat will hold from Spain to Italy and Poland for much of the days ahead. Some locations such as Prague, Berlin and Warsaw are expected to approach monthly and all-time record highs during the second half of this week. The setup for this round of heat is a slow-moving storm to the west of the British Isles and high pres- sure over eastern Europe, which will combine to promote a strong southwest flow from northern Af- rica and Spain into northern and central Europe. The heat began to build from Spain to Germany on Sunday be- fore surging to some of the highest levels of the summer on Monday. A cold front was expected to bring cooler air along with show- ers and thunderstorms to areas from France into the Netherlands, Belgium and western Germany yesterday. "There is concern for some of the thunderstorms to be strong," stated AccuWeather Meteorolo- gist Tyler Roys. "That is especially true in northern Germany and Denmark." The front will also not be able to sweep the heat away from Ma- drid, setting the stage for another round of heat spreading into France and Germany during the second half of the week. Highs in Paris will once again climb into the lower 30s Celsius by tomor- row. This second surge of heat would also build across southern and southeast Europe during the sec- ond half of the week, impacting areas such as Milan, Florence, Budapest and Prague. Maltese diver enters Guinness Book of Records MALTESE scuba diver Daniel Sammut was yesterday informed that he officially holds the world record for the longest cold water dive. Sammut was informed by the Guinness Book of Records that his record-breaking attempt in March was successful. On 19 March, Sammut dived to a depth of 11 metres in St Paul's Bay and stayed in the 14 degrees Celsius water for 13 hours and 22 minutes. The previous record was 12 hours 34 minutes. Announcing his world record on Facebook, Sammut said he was "ex- tremely happy". "A special thanks to all those in- volved because without your help, it would not have been possible," he wrote. Daniel Sammut entered the Guinness Book of Records for the longest open saltwater dive 'No alarm yet over alien jellyfish', biologist reassures Marine biologists fear the spread of certain alien species, including the harmful Nomadic Jellyfish, in the Mediterranean MARTINA BORG THE widening of the Suez Canal tomorrow is an occasion for much pomp and ceremony, and it could spell an economic upturn for the region, however, it has also raised concerns of an entirely different nature. Marine biologists and conserva- tionists have expressed great con- cerns about the possibility of more alien species of sea life making their way into the Mediterranean. Some 500 scientists have already peti- tioned the Egyptian authorities to carry out an unbiased environmen- tal impact assessment, according to the Italian newspaper La Repub- blica. One such species of concern is the Nomadic jellyfish, known by its sci- entific name as Rhopilema nomad- ica, which has already made it into the Mediterranean, and as far West as Malta and Tunisia. But marine biologist and research- er Alan Deidun told MaltaToday, that although present, the species was not yet a cause for alarm in Malta as only individuals had been spotted, and then again only in 2004 and 2011. "The problem with this spe- cies is when it appears in groups or blooms, sometimes numbering around a million," Deidun said. "This species is known to clog power station pipes and even whole fishing nets towards Israel, Lebanon and Turkey," he added, describing the economic issues such a species could create. He added that the jellyfish could often grow to something like the size of a football and weigh some 10 kg, and that its sting could be particularly uncomfortable, though not fatal. "Unfortunately it has been seen in clumps in Tunisia, which could spell trouble for Malta, but so far no other sightings have been made," Deidun said, explaining that condi- tions in Malta didn't seem to favour the species, which often preferred warmer temperatures characteris- tic of the eastern Mediterranean. Deidun urged the public to make use of the Spot the Jellyfish Cam- paign precisely to report any species they might see when they are at the beach. A leaflet with information about the various species is down- loadable at www.ioikids.net/jelly- fish, and reporting can be done by matching the sighted jellyfish with the identification guide, giving the date and time of the sighting, and indicating the number of jellyfish seen via SMS on 7922 2278. Asked about what methods could be used to reduce the impact of such species, Deidun said that not much could be done by way of repelling them except installing salinity bar- riers, and bubble curtains, since jel- lyfish were scared of bubbles. "On a more long-term scale one of the things that could be done is to reduce overfishing in the Mediter- ranean," he said. The Parliamentary Secretariat for EU Presidency 2017 and EU Funds, within the Ministry for European Affairs and Implementation of the Electoral Manifesto, notifies that the following calls have been published: t Expression of Interest for the Provision of Conference Facilities for Malta's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2017. t Expression of Interest for the Provision of Accommodation Services during Malta's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2017. Interested parties are invited to obtain a copy of these documents by contacting Ms. Lucia Gauci, Operations Manager, Presidency Unit on telephone number 22957405 or through email on lucia.gauci@gov.mt. REQUEST FOR PARTICIPATION FOR THE PROVISION OF CONFERENCE FACILITIES FOR MALTA'S PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EU IN 2017 EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR THE PROVISION OF ACCOMMODATION SERVICES DURING MALTA'S PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EU IN 2017 PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARIAT FOR THE EU PRESIDENCY 2017 AND EU FUNDS of the Council of the 2017 Maltese Presidency European Union