Italy reactivates the red alert for a heat wave in 20 cities in the country

July 3 () –

The Italian Ministry of Health has activated the state of “red alert” due to heat in 22 cities in the country, including the capital, Rome, Naples, Florence, Bologna, Bari, Trieste and Reggio Calabria, where up to 40 degrees are recorded during the day.

As they did on Thursday, when the first heat alert of the week was activated, experts have recommended that the population, especially in the south of the country, protect themselves from the sun this weekend between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and to avoid concentrations of people to avoid hot flashes.

The heat wave, called Charon (in reference to the ferryman who transported souls to the Underworld in Greek mythology), will leave temperatures of up to 44ºC on Saturday and Sunday in certain areas of the country, especially in the center. Regions such as the interior of Umbria, Lazio and Abruzzo will touch 43ºC, reports ‘L’Stampa’.

The heat wave has also aggravated drought in areas dependent on water from the Po River, Italy’s longest, where recent rains have barely managed to raise the water level.

Precisely because of the low flow of the river, the sea water has penetrated up to 30 kilometers into the interior of its mouth in the Adriatic Sea, with the consequent impact on the surrounding populations.

Meteorologists predict that as of July 7, the impact of the anticyclones that have brought the high temperatures will begin to gradually weaken and colder air will arrive in the north and center of the country, which will probably cause heavy rains and storms in those areas.