Italy is experiencing a severe heatwave, with the Health Ministry issuing the highest heat alert level for 17 major cities, including Florence, Bologna and the capital Rome.
The warning means that even healthy people in the affected regions could experience physical problems. The Italian meteorological service predicts that temperatures in Rome and Florence could reach 38 degrees Celsius, and in Bologna and Perugia between 36 and 37 degrees.
The southern Italian regions of Apulia and Basilicata, and the Mediterranean island of Sicily, will also experience particularly warm temperatures, with some places likely to exceed 40 degrees.
A high pressure area has been bringing scorching temperatures to Italy for days. The high humidity makes the heat in the cities particularly unbearable.
According to meteorologists, the heat wave is expected to last until Sunday.
After that, a slight cooling down with more bearable temperatures is expected in some regions, especially in the north. This may be accompanied by heavy thunderstorms.
