Europe’s economy faces a one-two punch from extreme weather and war | CNN Business

Nuclear power plants idled. Crops harvested at 3 a.m. Iconic tourist attractions shuttered early. Soaring temperatures are forcing drastic measures in Europe, where successive heatwaves are straining an economy already under pressure from US tariffs, Chinese competition and higher energy prices because of the Iran war. Romania’s state-owned nuclear power producer Nuclearelectrica started disconnecting its sole operational reactor from the power grid Thursday because of record-low water levels in the Danube, crucial for cooling its equipment, the company confirmed to CNN. The country has declared a state of energy emergency throughout August and asked businesses and households to voluntarily reduce consumption, Reuters reported. Elsewhere, France and Hungary have had to curtail nuclear power due to low river levels and high temperatures. Drought conditions are also fueling devastating, costly wildfires and reducing crop yields, threatening to push up food prices. Europe’s sweltering summer could cost the economy €180 billion ($208 billion) this year, or 1% of GDP – roughly the entire expected economic growth of the European Union, according to an estimate by Netherlands-base