Heat Wave Storm Kills 5 People in Italy

ILLUSTRATION/Rome, Italy/UNSPLASH/Claudio Hirschberger

JAKARTA - The devastating heat wave that hit Italy killed five people. This condition forced the country's authorities to expand the highest level heat warning to 18 cities for Friday (26/6).

Among the victims were two farmers in the northern provinces of Lodi and Piacenza, a homeless man in Naples, and a man who died at a cemetery in Garlasco near Pavia in the Lombardy region, ANSA news reported.

Italy continues to experience extremely high temperatures that affect most of the country.

The decision was taken after a technical committee led by Health Minister Orazio Schillaci met on Thursday (25/6) to discuss additional measures to deal with extreme heat.

Genoa was added to the list of cities under a red alert, joining Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice, Turin, Bologna, Bari, Ancona, Bolzano, Brescia, Frosinone, Latina, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Verona, and Viterbo.

Dilansir ANTARA dari Anadolu, peringatan merah menunjukkan kondisi cuaca yang cukup parah sehingga menimbulkan risiko kesehatan tidak hanya bagi kelompok rentan seperti lansia, anak-anak, dan penderita penyakit kronis, tetapi juga bagi individu yang sehat.

Heatwaves are also disrupting cultural sites and public services. Florence's Uffizi Gallery said ticket sales would remain suspended until at least June 28 after damage to its air conditioning system forced the museum to halt visitor admissions.

Juliet's two-story house, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Verona, will be closed to visitors starting Friday (26/6) due to heat and visitor density. Court sessions were also suspended in the southern city of Palermo due to high temperatures.

In Milan, tourists were seen carrying umbrellas and hand fans while seeking protection from the heat near the fountain around the Duomo Cathedral, which is an icon of the city.

Local media also reported a 20 percent increase in admissions to emergency rooms across the Lombardy region as the heat wave intensified.

Meteorologists predict temperatures will peak over the weekend.

Italy is among several European countries that have experienced an increase in temperatures in early summer.