HEATWAVE: Italy warned of 'record' high temperatures this week
Temperatures in parts of Italy will near the European heat record as a ferocious “three-headed” heatwave named Cerberus descends on the country, meteorologists said.
Extreme temperatures of up to 47-48°C were forecast in Sardinia and Sicily for Wednesday and Thursday with heat in many other parts of Italy expected to exceed 40°C, forecasts warned, in an intense heatwave set to last up to two weeks.
By Wednesday, an anticyclone – an area of high pressure – coming from the south will “distribute heat in different ways over three areas of Italy, represented metaphorically with three heads,” said meteorologist Stefano Rossi of Italian weather website IlMeteo.it.
IN MAPS: How hot will it get around Italy on Wednesday?
"The first area is that of the south and the major islands; the second is central Italy, above all the Tyrrhenian belt; the third zone is the north," he explained.
On Wednesday, maximum temperatures of 37-38°C are expected on the northern plains, around the Po valley, and in central areas, as shown in red on the map below.
Map: IlMeteo.it
There will be more intense heat in southern regions, including Puglia and parts of Molise and Basilicata, with temperatures above 40 degrees shown in black on the map.
The highest temperatures are forecast on the major islands of Sicily and particularly Sardinia, where peaks of 45 degrees and higher are expected.
Italian health authorities issued the highest-level red alert for heat in eight cities including Rome and Florence for Wednesday, with all other parts of the country under lower-level amber or yellow alerts.
READ ALSO: ‘Four to five light meals a day’: Italy’s official advice for surviving the heat
Reports on Tuesday suggested Italy could come close to or even break the record for the highest temperature in European history, set on August 11th 2021, when the Sicilian province of Syracuse registered a high of 48.8C.
“We could get close to the record. Either way, temperatures will be very high.” Rossi told Italian newspaper La Stampa.
Rossi added that humidity levels would “skyrocket” and said nighttime temperatures would not fall below 22C.
Cerberus was the first major heatwave to sweep Italy this year following a spring marked by severe storms and deadly flooding.
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.
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".
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Extreme temperatures of up to 47-48°C were forecast in Sardinia and Sicily for Wednesday and Thursday with heat in many other parts of Italy expected to exceed 40°C, forecasts warned, in an intense heatwave set to last up to two weeks.
By Wednesday, an anticyclone – an area of high pressure – coming from the south will “distribute heat in different ways over three areas of Italy, represented metaphorically with three heads,” said meteorologist Stefano Rossi of Italian weather website IlMeteo.it.
IN MAPS: How hot will it get around Italy on Wednesday?
"The first area is that of the south and the major islands; the second is central Italy, above all the Tyrrhenian belt; the third zone is the north," he explained.
On Wednesday, maximum temperatures of 37-38°C are expected on the northern plains, around the Po valley, and in central areas, as shown in red on the map below.
There will be more intense heat in southern regions, including Puglia and parts of Molise and Basilicata, with temperatures above 40 degrees shown in black on the map.
The highest temperatures are forecast on the major islands of Sicily and particularly Sardinia, where peaks of 45 degrees and higher are expected.
Italian health authorities issued the highest-level red alert for heat in eight cities including Rome and Florence for Wednesday, with all other parts of the country under lower-level amber or yellow alerts.
READ ALSO: ‘Four to five light meals a day’: Italy’s official advice for surviving the heat
Reports on Tuesday suggested Italy could come close to or even break the record for the highest temperature in European history, set on August 11th 2021, when the Sicilian province of Syracuse registered a high of 48.8C.
“We could get close to the record. Either way, temperatures will be very high.” Rossi told Italian newspaper La Stampa.
Rossi added that humidity levels would “skyrocket” and said nighttime temperatures would not fall below 22C.
Cerberus was the first major heatwave to sweep Italy this year following a spring marked by severe storms and deadly flooding.
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.
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".
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