Italy is still in the grip of the heat, with temperatures in several cities 10 degrees above seasonal averages. Starting today, Friday, June 26, red dots are also increasing that is, days characterized by weather conditions that can have negative effects on everyone's health, not just the most vulnerable.
Record heat: 18 cities under red alert, six more under orange alert
According to the indications provided by the bulletin on heat waves of the Ministry of Health, which takes into consideration 27 urban centres, As of today, 18 cities are on a red dot and the same number is also expected for the day of Saturday 27.
The red dots, which indicate the highest level of heat risk for the entire population, today are Ancona, Bari, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Florence, Frosinone, Genoa (new entry), Latina, Milan, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome, Turin, Venice, Verona, and Viterbo.
For Saturday the bulletin confirms the appearance of 6 new orange stickers These indicate a risk only for children, the elderly, the disabled, and the most vulnerable in general: Campobasso, Civitavecchia, Naples, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, and Trieste. These urban centers are in yellow on Friday (pre-alert status for a possible heat wave). The three urban centers that remain in yellow on Saturday yellow, finally, they are Cagliari, Catania and Messina.
Heat emergency: peak between Sunday and Monday
The worst is yet to come. In Florence and in the Po Valley, with 40 and 41 degrees, According to the Lamma-Cnr Consortium, the highest expected values in our country will be recorded next Saturday and Monday, respectively. It is expected precisely the peak between Sunday and Monday of this second heat wave of the year. According to Lorenzo Tedici of ilMeteo.it, temperatures will reach peaks of 41°C between Tuscany and Emilia, while along the Ligurian coast, the combination of high temperatures and high humidity will cause the perceived temperature to soar to 45°C.
Record heat: Palermo courthouse closed, concerts under surveillance
The anomalous heat wave that has been affecting our country and much of Europe for a week could put the next three days the health of 1,5 million workers at risk in Italy. This is what emerges from an analysis conducted by Greenpeace Italy and CGIL.
Meanwhile, in Florence, Thursday the Uffizi They decided to limit admissions and suspend ticket sales for the day only because the above-normal temperatures have seriously affected the air conditioning system. PalermoCourt President Piergiorgio Morosini has ordered the suspension of hearings until June 29 due to the heatwave. "A serious situation of hardship has arisen for magistrates, administrative staff, lawyers, assistants, users, and inmates attending criminal hearings and working in the courthouse," the president wrote. "This hardship is linked, in addition to weather conditions that have significantly increased temperatures, to the inoperability of air conditioning systems, the proper functioning of which is essential for livable working environments."
The Ministry of Health, at the conclusion of the inter-institutional control room foreseen within the National Operational Plan for the forecasting and prevention of the effects of the heat, is preparing to arrange surveillance of major events, starting with concertsAccess to local mental health centers is also being monitored, with particular attention to the elderly. Meanwhile, the public service number 1500 has been activated for information and requests.
