Boss, sit down and hold on tight, because I've got news that'll give you chills, even if it's 40 degrees in the shade outside. A 56-year-old man from Rusenii Noi, Iasi County, croaked on Sunday at the "Sf. Spiridon" Hospital after being found flat out in a field, with a body temperature of 40 degrees. Poor guy, he was a shepherd, had a little shot of plum brandy to forget the heat, and boom, someone found him in cardiac arrest. Doctors tried to bring him back for an hour, but no dice - he arrived at the hospital already cold. Now they're doing an autopsy to see if the heat killed him, a heart attack, or a thrombosis. To me, it's clear: this heat wave is a silent killer, as WHO boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says. And he ain't joking, bro!

And it's not just here. All over Europe, it's a disaster. Tedros announced that since June 21, over 1,300 people have died from the heat. And he says Europe is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world. Man, so we Romanians are at the forefront, but not in football - in temperatures. Schools have closed, power grids are failing - just like in my neighborhood in Berceni when Mioara uses the iron and hair dryer at the same time. On Sunday, four countries broke records. Germany: 41.7°C in Coschen, near Poland. Czech Republic: 41.9°C in Doksany - first time they've passed 41. Poland: 40.5°C in Słubice. And Vienna hit 40°C in the city center. I mean, in Vienna, where Germans stroll around in suits, now they're bathing in fountains. In Slovakia, 39°C and a forecast of three days of 40. Even Denmark, where it's always cold, had 36.6°C on Saturday - the highest ever. It's madness, bro!

France reported about 1,000 extra deaths between June 24 and 27, mostly elderly over 65, but also young people. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 74 people have drowned since the start of the heat wave, in lakes and rivers. So people flee the heat to the water and die drowning. In Spain, 327 deaths linked to the heat wave. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said hospitals are under pressure, and ambulances had 122,000 calls. Ice cold! When I heard that, I remembered Mioara, who says she spends all day at Lidl in the air conditioning and complains it's cold. Well, at least she knows what she's doing.

The heat wave is moving east, so Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia are bracing for 40+. Over 191 million Europeans had temperatures of at least 35°C on Sunday. Authorities have taken tough measures. In France, they banned takeaway alcohol in public spaces and canceled the Paris Pride march. In Germany, Deutsche Bahn said don't travel unless necessary, and Berlin police used water cannons on people to cool them down. In Poland, the security agency sent SMS messages not to stay in the sun and not to exert yourself. The phenomenon is called a "heat dome" - air descends, compresses, heats up, and prevents clouds from forming. WHO has asked countries to make action plans against heat waves. But in Romania, what do you know? We don't even qualify for aid, because it's not a big enough "natural disaster."

And it's not just the heat wave. Northern France was hit by violent storms, with lightning and strong winds, causing fires, power outages for over 60,000 homes, and injuring five people in Laon. In Belgium, a man died after a tree fell on his car near Brussels. So, bro, from one extreme to another. I wonder: what's next? A rain of frogs?

In all this circus, the Spanish are promoting a traditional cooling method: the "method of closing" or "total darkness." In the morning, between 8 and 9, you close the blinds, curtains, drapes, and don't open them until late at night. Windows are left open at night and early morning. Tips: put an empty milk carton in front of the fan or hang a cold towel at the window. Only 41% of homes in Spain have air conditioning; the rest rely on this method. In my Berceni, Mioara closes the blinds at 10 AM and stays in darkness until evening, like in a cave. She says that's how the apartment cools down. But I think she's just catching up on some well-deserved sleep from hanging out at Lidl. Anyway, I'm going to make her a light dinner, maybe a salad, and pray the power doesn't go out, otherwise we'll move with sleeping bags to Fane's terrace. Until then, let's drink some cold water and think about how we could be as smart as the Spanish, but without frying like the Oltenians.