This summer ranked among the hottest since measurements began in 1775, with an average temperature of 22.6°C, making it the third hottest, just behind 2019 and 2018. The trend is clear, as five of the six hottest summers have occurred in the last decade.
The drought had a significant impact on vegetation, with trees shedding their leaves prematurely due to stress. Another notable thing is the higher number of sightings of deer and tracks in the nearby wilderness, likely related to changing conditions and the need to seek new water and food sources.
In contrast, there was a noticeable increase in the number of moths, particularly towards the end of the summer when a large number of butterflies, especially Nymphalinae, appeared. To date, I have recorded 235 moth species in my surroundings.
Now, after an extremely hot and dry summer, The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has just issued an extreme flood alert. The forecast is alarming – from Thursday to Sunday, 150 to 250 millimetres of rain is expected in some places, and even over 450 millimetres in the east. The situation is so serious that neighbouring Germany is expecting “millennial water”.
For the last two evenings and nights, when the weather has cooled down by as much as fifteen degrees, no insects have been attracted to the light.
I’m still feeding the wasps sugar water. They can consume everything by the evening. Yet they’re decreasing in numbers, probably their queen is dead. At least they have a retirement in the sugar kingdom.
