HEATWAVE: Italy puts 21 cities under red alert on Sunday as temperatures soar
Italy's health ministry issued its highest-level 'red' heat warning for a total of 21 cities on Sunday, as the heatwave gripping the country intensified.
A red alert was set to be in place in all of the following cities on Sunday, according to the ministry's latest heatwave bulletin: Ancona, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Catania, Civitavecchia, Florence, Frosinone, Latina, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome, Turin, Trieste, Venice, Verona, and Viterbo.
The red alert (bollino rosso in Italian) indicates heat levels that may pose a risk to the health and wellbeing of the general population, including healthy and active people.
The Italian health ministry, which publishes daily heat warnings for Italy's major cities, advised people not to go outdoors between 11am and 6pm if possible, avoid physical exertion and stay in air-conditioned spaces.
Inland areas of central Italy, Sicily and Sardinia were expected to see daytime temperatures of up to 40C over the weekend, according to the latest weather reports.
Hot and muggy conditions were also expected in the north and south of the country, with temperatures forecast to hover in the high 30s during the day.
Rome's city council said earlier this week it planned to set up three Red Cross stations with cooling tents in strategic locations to provide first aid to people affected by the extreme heat over the weekend.
Local authorities have also positioned ambulances and first-aid teams around popular tourist spots including the Colosseum to quickly respond to any potential medical emergency, AFP reported.
The spell of extreme heat currently gripping Italy is expected to continue into next month, with a 'probable slight drop in temperatures after Wednesday, July 2nd," meteorologists at Il Meteo said.
linking the trend to the effects of climate change.
In August 2021, mercury levels in the town of Floridia, near Syracuse, reached 48.8C – the highest-ever temperature recorded in continental Europe.
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5 hours ago
- Local Italy
HEATWAVE: Italy puts 21 cities under red alert on Sunday as temperatures soar
Italy's health ministry issued its highest-level 'red' heat warning for a total of 21 cities on Sunday, as the heatwave gripping the country intensified. A red alert was set to be in place in all of the following cities on Sunday, according to the ministry's latest heatwave bulletin: Ancona, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Catania, Civitavecchia, Florence, Frosinone, Latina, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome, Turin, Trieste, Venice, Verona, and Viterbo. The red alert (bollino rosso in Italian) indicates heat levels that may pose a risk to the health and wellbeing of the general population, including healthy and active people. The Italian health ministry, which publishes daily heat warnings for Italy's major cities, advised people not to go outdoors between 11am and 6pm if possible, avoid physical exertion and stay in air-conditioned spaces. Inland areas of central Italy, Sicily and Sardinia were expected to see daytime temperatures of up to 40C over the weekend, according to the latest weather reports. Hot and muggy conditions were also expected in the north and south of the country, with temperatures forecast to hover in the high 30s during the day. Rome's city council said earlier this week it planned to set up three Red Cross stations with cooling tents in strategic locations to provide first aid to people affected by the extreme heat over the weekend. Local authorities have also positioned ambulances and first-aid teams around popular tourist spots including the Colosseum to quickly respond to any potential medical emergency, AFP reported. The spell of extreme heat currently gripping Italy is expected to continue into next month, with a 'probable slight drop in temperatures after Wednesday, July 2nd," meteorologists at Il Meteo said. linking the trend to the effects of climate change. In August 2021, mercury levels in the town of Floridia, near Syracuse, reached 48.8C – the highest-ever temperature recorded in continental Europe.
Local Italy
a day ago
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HEATWAVE: Italy puts 13 cities under red alert on Friday as 40°C forecast
Italy's health ministry issued its highest-level 'red' alert heat warning for a total of 13 cities on Friday as the heatwave sweeping the country intensified. The heat warnings were in place for Ancona, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Campobasso, Florence, Frosinone, Milan, Perugia, Rome, Turin, Venice and Verona, according to the ministry's latest heatwave bulletin on Thursday. The red alert (bollino rosso) indicates "emergency" conditions with a risk of negative effects on the general population, including on healthy and active people. Central and northern regions were likely to see temperatures in the high 30s, according to forecasts, especially in inland areas of Tuscany, Lazio and the Po Valley. Italy's IlMeteo weather website predicted temperatures of up to 40°C in Florence, and up to 39°C in Rome and Milan between Friday and Sunday. Six cities were already under red alert on Thursday as the heatwave took hold: Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Florence, Perugia and Turin. Most other parts of the country were under a medium-level amber alert on Friday (bollino arancione), indicating weather conditions that pose risks to the elderly, sick or very young. The coastal cities of Bari, Genoa, Civitavecchia and Messina were the only four places still under the lowest-level 'yellow' warning, where temperatures were expected to remain at safer levels on Friday. The heatwave was caused by an anticyclone set to affect most of Italy for "at least 10 days... with a probable slight drop in temperatures after Wednesday, July 2nd," meteorologists at IlMeteo wrote. The Italian health ministry has warned that "prolonged exposure to high temperatures can cause mild ailments, such as cramps, fainting, or swelling, or more serious ones, such as heat stroke and dehydration." The ministry's website advised people to stay indoors between 11am and 6pm, when the sun is at its most intense, as well as to dress in loose, light fabrics, and to drink at least 1.5 litres of water a day during heatwaves. Italy has activated its 1500 phone helpline, which gives advice on managing the heat as well as information about healthcare services available.
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How hot will this summer be in Italy?
Heatwave Scipione may be starting to cool off, but Italian weather experts say people across the country should brace themselves for another long and sweltering summer. July and August are set to be characterised by "long-lasting and persistent heatwaves," says meteorologist Mattia Gussoni in weather site Current projections from cross-border research institute The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts indicate that temperatures across the peninsula (and much of Europe) could reach highs of up to 3°C above seasonal averages. The south of Italy and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily are expected to be particularly heavily affected, with highs of 40°C or more currently forecast for the first half of July. It looks like it's going to be "the summer of the super anticyclone," says meteorologist Alessio Grosso on weather site Meteo Live. The African anticyclones, or high-pressure zones, typically responsible for Italy's heatwaves originate in the Sahara, bringing scorching desert air that arrives in the country with high levels of humidity absorbed from the Mediterranean. Based on forecasts from the Global Forecast System, a numerical weather prediction model, Grosso predicts that temperatures over the coming weeks will be "consistently above average, though without exceptional peaks." That means that while it will be much warmer than normal, it doesn't necessarily look as though this summer will break all previous heat records in Italy. The highest ever temperature recorded in continental Europe was in Syracuse, Sicily on August 11th, 2021, when mercury levels reached 48.8°C (119.8°F). Since then, Rome has set its own heat record of 41.8°C on July 18th, 2023, while Milan registered a record high of 33°C on August 25th of the same year. While weather conditions are expected to be hot and sunny for most of the summer, that doesn't preclude the possibility of intense summer thunderstorms in some areas, says Gussoni. These can include rare summer hailstorms and even tornados, as well as more typical rainstorms that tend to last between one and two hours.
