Italy puts 16 cities on red alert this weekend as heat intensifies
Italy's heatwave is set to get even more intense over the weekend with the number of major cities on red alert rising to 16 on Sunday, the health ministry said.
Italian health authorities on Friday issued severe heat warnings for the coming weekend as the sizzling heatwave currently sweeping the nation was expected to get even hotter.
On Friday, a red alert was already in place for the cities of Bologna, Campobasso, Florence, Frosinone, Latina, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome and Viterbo.
READ ALSO: ‘Four to five light meals a day’: Italy’s official advice for surviving the heat
These cities will be joined on Saturday by Bari, Cagliari, Catania, Civitavecchia and Messina, with the addition of Palermo on Sunday.
Italy's highest-level 'red' alert means the heat poses a threat to the general population, not just to more vulnerable groups such as young children and the elderly.
All other parts of the country were placed on lower-level yellow or amber alerts over the weekend.
The heatwave began earlier this week, with some parts of Italy already seeing temperatures of above 40°C in recent days.
#Guardate che #CALDO #ECCEZIONALE è in arrivo! https://t.co/UsfPjQ7Njg
— IL METEO.it (@ilmeteoit) July 14, 2023
It was expected to intensify and last until the end of next week with a new wave of high pressure moving in from the south, forecasts said.
Meteorologists suggested that the particularly intense heat in the coming days could break local heat records around the country.
Temperatures were forecast to reach 41-43°C in the regions of Tuscany and Lazio - with up to 43°C forecast in Rome, which could mean a new heat record for the capital.
In the southern Puglia region temperatures were set to climb to around 45°C, while the hottest conditions were expected on the major islands of Sardinia and Sicily, with peaks of 48°C.
This could break the current European heat record of 48.8° C, set in the Sicilian province of Syracuse in summer 2021.
The mercury could also rise to 39-40°C in northern regions this weekend, forecasts said, following thunderstorms in the northwest of the country in recent days.
Italy's health authorities advised people to take precautions including staying indoors in the afternoon when the heat is most intense, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding physical exercise during the day. It also asked people to check on neighbours living alone, particularly the elderly.
The death of a 69-year-old man in Pescara this week was caused by the intense heat, according to Italian media reports.
Prolonged heatwaves in summer 2022 caused a surge in deaths in Italy and across Europe, and new research this week predicted the continent could soon face "nearly 100,000 deaths a year linked to extreme heat".
Scientists say human-caused climate change is making extreme weather events such as heatwaves, drought, severe storms and flooding more frequent and more intense.
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Italian health authorities on Friday issued severe heat warnings for the coming weekend as the sizzling heatwave currently sweeping the nation was expected to get even hotter.
On Friday, a red alert was already in place for the cities of Bologna, Campobasso, Florence, Frosinone, Latina, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome and Viterbo.
READ ALSO: ‘Four to five light meals a day’: Italy’s official advice for surviving the heat
These cities will be joined on Saturday by Bari, Cagliari, Catania, Civitavecchia and Messina, with the addition of Palermo on Sunday.
Italy's highest-level 'red' alert means the heat poses a threat to the general population, not just to more vulnerable groups such as young children and the elderly.
All other parts of the country were placed on lower-level yellow or amber alerts over the weekend.
The heatwave began earlier this week, with some parts of Italy already seeing temperatures of above 40°C in recent days.
#Guardate che #CALDO #ECCEZIONALE è in arrivo! https://t.co/UsfPjQ7Njg
— IL METEO.it (@ilmeteoit) July 14, 2023
It was expected to intensify and last until the end of next week with a new wave of high pressure moving in from the south, forecasts said.
Meteorologists suggested that the particularly intense heat in the coming days could break local heat records around the country.
Temperatures were forecast to reach 41-43°C in the regions of Tuscany and Lazio - with up to 43°C forecast in Rome, which could mean a new heat record for the capital.
In the southern Puglia region temperatures were set to climb to around 45°C, while the hottest conditions were expected on the major islands of Sardinia and Sicily, with peaks of 48°C.
This could break the current European heat record of 48.8° C, set in the Sicilian province of Syracuse in summer 2021.
The mercury could also rise to 39-40°C in northern regions this weekend, forecasts said, following thunderstorms in the northwest of the country in recent days.
Italy's health authorities advised people to take precautions including staying indoors in the afternoon when the heat is most intense, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding physical exercise during the day. It also asked people to check on neighbours living alone, particularly the elderly.
The death of a 69-year-old man in Pescara this week was caused by the intense heat, according to Italian media reports.
Prolonged heatwaves in summer 2022 caused a surge in deaths in Italy and across Europe, and new research this week predicted the continent could soon face "nearly 100,000 deaths a year linked to extreme heat".
Scientists say human-caused climate change is making extreme weather events such as heatwaves, drought, severe storms and flooding more frequent and more intense.
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