Italy braces for another weekend of extreme heat

The number of Italian cities under the highest-level heat wave warning will fall over the weekend, although extreme temperatures and health risks continue across much of the country, ANSA news agency reported on Friday.

According to Italy's Ministry of Health, 16 cities will be under a red heat alert on Saturday, down from an earlier forecast of 19, before the number decreases to 14 on Sunday.

The cities under a red alert on Saturday are Bologna, Brescia, Campobasso, Civitavecchia, Florence, Frosinone, Genoa, Latina, Milan, Palermo, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome, Turin and Viterbo.

On Sunday, red alerts will remain in effect for Bari, Campobasso, Civitavecchia, Florence, Frosinone, Genoa, Latina, Naples, Palermo, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome and Viterbo.

Meteorologists said southern Italy will remain the hardest-hit region, with temperatures approaching 50C (122F) in some areas.

Forecasts indicate highs of up to 42C in Cagliari, 41C in Foggia, 40C in Terni, 38C in Florence, 37C in Rome and 36C in Milan, while inland Sardinia could reach 46C and parts of Sicily up to 45C.

In the northern Veneto region, civil protection authorities declared a yellow alert for heat on Friday and Saturday and warned of thunderstorms and hydrogeological risks on Saturday as cooler air moves into the region.

Forecasters expect the current heat wave to begin weakening from Monday as the African anticyclone shifts westward.

Southern Italy and the islands are expected to remain very hot, although temperatures are forecast to decline slightly.

The prolonged heat has also been linked to health concerns.

A 78-year-old woman died after collapsing on a beach in Agropoli, in the southern province of Salerno, on Friday morning.

Authorities are investigating the incident, and officials have not ruled out heat exposure as a contributing factor.