Red alert in 14 cities...

Italy declares state of maximum alert due to heatwave

Italian authorities declared a state of maximum red alert in 14 cities tomorrow, due to the heatwave sweeping across large parts of Europe, with warnings from the Italian Ministry of Health about the health effects of high temperatures.

The capitals of Italian regions recorded red alerts in 16 cities today, as the heatwave continues to hit the country.

The warning system of the Italian Ministry of Health has three levels of alert; the first level (yellow) indicates a pre-alert phase, while the second level (orange) indicates a possibility of health risks due to high temperatures, especially for the most vulnerable groups, and the third level (red) means that temperatures pose a risk to the health of the entire population.