People in Italy were warned to expect a ‘fiery’ Ferragosto holiday week as Italian health authorities placed 22 of Italy's 27 major cities under the maximum heat alert on both Wednesday, August 14th, and Thursday, August 15th.
Daytime temperatures were forecast to shoot up to highs of 38C to 40C in mainland areas and on the major islands Sicily and Sardinia mid-week, while experts also warned of high humidity levels (over 80 percent in some cases) and air stagnation due to a lack of wind.
MAP: How hot will it get around Italy over Ferragosto week?
While bouts of hot weather are far from rare during summer in Italy, prolonged spells of particularly hot and humid conditions can pose a risk to human health, especially when temperatures remain high overnight, preventing the body from recovering from the thermal stress of the day.
That’s why the Italian health ministry every year publishes a list of guidelines to keep cool and stay safe during a heatwave. These include tips on what to eat, how to dress and how to keep your place cool in the hottest hours of the day.
'Choose pasta or fish': Italy's official advice for keeping cool in a heatwave
If you just can’t endure scorching-hot temperatures and are looking for a way to flee the intense heat, the diversity of Italy's landscape means that you’ll find no shortage of ‘coolcation’ spots to choose from.
Whether you’re wishing to relax at hundreds, or thousands, of metres of altitude with nothing but blue skies and trees around you, or are considering exploring the history and culture of a picturesque hilltop village, there are some travel destinations you should keep in mind when planning your escape.
Six of the coolest places to go in Italy to avoid a heatwave
But if you don’t have the time or opportunity to travel at the moment and, unlike millions of Italians at this time of year, you’re stuck at work, you may be wondering whether it is ever legally too hot to work in the country.
We’ve tried to answer that question in the article below.
Can your boss force you to work during a heatwave in Italy?
Finally, if the only option left for you is to cope with the heat the best way you can (this, incidentally, is the fate of the person writing this article), remember: grumbling about the overwhelming caldo in Italian may just give you the boost to make it through the heatwave.
Fried eggs and sweaty underpants: 10 phrases to complain about the heat like an Italian
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