Italy faces extreme heat, with Sardinia expecting 45C

Italy faces an intensifying heatwave, with temperatures projected to soar to 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in inland Sardinia by Friday. This marks the third heatwave of the year, and the number of red alerts, signifying maximum health risk, is rapidly increasing across the country. Four cities are currently under red alert, with seven expected by Wednesday, accompanied by nine orange alerts.

The extreme heat is not confined to Italy. Across Europe, record-breaking temperatures are causing concern. In the UK, an estimated 2,700 excess deaths were recorded in May and June due to high temperatures, and the heat is expected to persist for much of the week, pushing temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius in many regions.

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Le temperature massime saranno comprese tra i 39°C e i 41°C su tantissime zone del Centro-Sud e sull'intera Sardegna.

These high temperatures are fueling wildfires in several European countries. A significant fire is raging in the Conwy area of North Wales, forcing the evacuation of hundreds from rural communities. France is also battling a large fire in the forest of Fontainebleau, near Paris, which has already consumed 800 hectares. Germany is experiencing an alarming rise in drownings, with 99 incidents recorded in June alone.

In Italy, cities like Florence and Perugia are under continuous red alerts. Florence has experienced perceived temperatures between 37 and 39 degrees Celsius, with nighttime temperatures remaining high. By Wednesday, Brescia, Turin, Bologna, Frosinone, and Rome are expected to join the red alert list. Meteorologists predict maximum temperatures between 39 and 41 degrees Celsius across central-southern Italy and Sardinia, with the zero-degree Celsius level rising to extraordinary heights above 5,000 meters.

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Un simile surriscaldamento spingerà l'altezza dello zero termico su livelli straordinari, pronti a superare i 5000 metri.