Calos, Novum Aeternum – The small town of Calos broke Sanctarian temperature records yesterday, with a high of 49.1°C registered around noon in the district by the National Meteorological Service. The record high is the latest effect of the intense heatwave that’s currently hitting southern Sanctaria, particularly the south coasts of Glorionis and Novum Aeternum, with many residents essentially forced to stay inside during peak times to avoid serious burns, sunstroke, or worse.
Eighteen people, all of whom were elderly with pre-existing conditions, have already been confirmed as casualties of the heatwave – nicknamed Lucifer by locals in Calos – which has been scorching communities all along the Bay of Sanctaria for the past two weeks. Meteorologists have indicated that a vortex is keeping the intense heat focused on this area, instead of “having a more equal spread across the country and region as a whole”; they are hoping based on the data they have the vortex will break “in the next 4 to 8 days”.
Calos, which has less than 9,000 residents, is usually a popular tourist destination at this time of year. With a typical summer average is between 34 and 38ºC, beautiful sandy beaches, and a tidy and well-equipped marina, it often seas boatloads of visitors from across Bay of Sanctaria. The last number of weeks, however, has seen tourism almost completely drop off, and those that have braved the scorching sun are barely leaving their boats or hotel rooms. “Calos’ economy depends on a good summer tourist season”, one hotel proprietor tells us. “We stay mild enough in the winter, and so we get some guests then too, but the bulk of our income comes from the summer tourists. This heatwave has really impacted our August revenues for the worst. Everyone likes to get some sun, but not this much”.
It’s not just the town’s economy that is taking it a hit, local lakes and reservoirs have dried up significantly with the intense heat, with hosepipe bans in place too. The region around Calos is famous for its wines, but vineyard owners tell us this year’s harvest is not going to be great. “We’re doing what we can to keep the vines alive in the heat, it’s manual, backbreaking work without the automated water systems. We’ve seen significant withering, and our workers can only do short shifts in the heat. It’s terrible”, the owner of one of Calos’ local vineyards complains. “The (state) government is refusing to help us, saying it’s a federal problem. The fed says it’s a state government problem. No one wants to help businesses here.”
Calos is just one example of a number of towns and cities across Aquitanium, Glorionis, Novum Aeternum which is seeing its local resources and economy crumble under the intense heat. Scientists warn this could become the new normal unless more funding and regulations are provided to protect the environment. “Calos can’t survive another two or three summers with this kind of heat. As it is, the local Chamber of Commerce is trying to drum up ways to get more people to visit us in the winter time, a sort of winter sun destination. If that doesn’t work, then I don’t think my kids will be able to grow up in Calos, I think the town will die”, one resident, Henry James, sighed. Residents here are hoping the scientists are right, and this heat will break within the next week. If it doesn’t, they well might instead.
RICH CORDON, National Correspondent
