Five dead as Italy battles record-high temperatures, wildfires

A tourist quenches her thirst with water from Fontana dei Leoni amid a heatwave in Rome, Italy, July 14, 2024. [Xinhua]

At least five people died in Italy over the weekend due to a heatwave that brought record-high temperatures across the country, local authorities and media reported on Monday.

Four people, aged 70 to 82, died in the southern Apulia region while trying to escape the heat on the beach, ANSA news agency reported. Apulia has been one of the regions most affected by the scorching weather so far. The local authority issued an ordinance on July 10, banning construction and garden centers work in the afternoon until August 31.

The fifth victim was registered in central Lazio, the region surrounding Rome. A 68-year-old man was found dead in the streets in a suburb of the capital city, reportedly due to a heart attack attributed to high temperature, according to the news agency.

Health authorities in Lazio, in coordination with the Health Ministry, issued a red hot-weather warning over the weekend for all the five provinces in the region, including Rome, extended through July 17. In the meantime, the Health Ministry issued a red alert for 12 cities over July 15-17. In Italy's four-tier alert system, a red heatwave alert indicates a health risk not limited to vulnerable individuals.

The heatwave has triggered extensive wildfires in Lazio, Apulia, southern Calabria, and Sicily. The Civic Protection Department reported 19 emergency operations with water-dropping planes at the national level on July 14, and another 16 on July 12.

Considering the risks of heatwaves, especially for its aging population, Italy's Health Ministry has enacted a National Heat Plan since 2004. This year, it was activated on May 20 and will remain active until Sept. 15, providing daily bulletins that include heatwave risk forecasts for 27 Italian cities over the 24, 48, and 72 hours.

According to an estimate by the Italian farmers' association Coldiretti, based on data by the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC-Cnr), the first half of 2024 was the hottest period ever registered in Italy, with temperatures approximately 1.47 degrees Celsius above the historical average, as reported by Italy's business daily Il Sole 24 Ore on Sunday.