Highest figure: 48.8 degrees – Europe’s heat record could fall on Sardinia

The past few days were rated as the warmest on record. The next few days would get even more difficult. Unbearable muggy and scorching temperatures will plague Italy from north to south, weather experts warn. On Tuesday it could reach 42 or 43 degrees in Rome, breaking the previous August 2007 heat record of 40.5 degrees.

Meteorologist Mattia Gussoni explained that the increase in temperature was due to a wave of hot air coming directly from Africa. The African high-pressure area acts as a protective shield over Italy, preventing the entry of cooler currents. The situation in Sardinia’s capital, Cagliari and the surrounding area, is worrying. The president of the southern Italian Adriatic region of Puglia, Michele Emiliano, urged farmers not to work in the countryside during the hottest hours. As the newspaper “Il Messaggero” reported,

Two athletes died in Sardinia from the heat
In Rome, hot tourists increasingly seek out the many gray fountains from which drinking water flows – they are also called “Nasone” because of the nose-like shape of the tap. In the capital, people fill their bottles there, cool their faces or let their dogs drink. In the southern Italian city of Naples, two amateur footballers aged 48 and 51 have died, probably of heat-related illnesses.

High temperatures are also predicted for South Tyrol for the next three days. The red alert was declared for Bolzano and all communities in the Adige valley. In the northern Italian town of Forlì, unions threatened strikes if the health of workers forced to spend eight hours outside or in unair-conditioned halls is not protected.

The sultry will continue to weigh heavily on people at least until Wednesday. A break in the heat wave is expected in the north between Thursday and Friday. Then some thunderstorms should cool down.