Heat Giving No Respite Despite Drop in Red Alert Cities

Rome: The steamy and muggy ‘afa’ heat that has been scorching Italy is giving no respite despite a drop Monday from 21 to 16 in the cities where a red alert is in place, meaning even young and healthy individuals are at health risk in the middle of the day. The maximum level of heat risk for the entire population in the bulletins on heat waves of the Ministry of Health Monday concerns 16 urban centers (down from 21 Sunday), but edging up again Tuesday (17 cities) and Wednesday (18).

According to Ansa News Agency, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Florence, Perugia, and Turin have been ‘red’ since last June 26 and will remain so at least until July 2. No other Italian city has recorded this succession of days of record heat. On Monday, however, the maximum level of risk due to high temperatures also concerns Ancona, Frosinone, Genoa, Latina, Milan, Palermo, Rieti, Rome, Trieste, and Verona.

“If Monday’s 16 red alerts are down from yesterday’s 21, tomorrow, with the entry of Viterbo into the list, they will increase again to 17 and Wednesday with the addition of Campobasso, 18,” said forecaster Antonio San². “Returning to today’s bulletin, the yellow dots have increased and become 7 (pre-alert status for a possible heat wave, yesterday there were 6): they are Bari, Cagliari, Catania, Civitavecchia, Messina, Pescara, and Reggio Calabria.”

“On the other hand, the orange alerts have increased (risk for the most fragile) and become four (yesterday only Genoa, today in red): Campobasso, Naples, Venice, and Viterbo.”