Temperatures rise in Italy ahead of national holidayItaly is set to experience scorching hot temperatures from north to south in the days leading up to Ferragosto, the national summer holiday on Friday 15 August.The heatwave is expected to last until the weekend of 16-17 August and will see temperatures tip 40° Celsius in southern Italy in the coming days. Meteorologists from weather forecasting website Meteo.it say the heatwave is the result of an African anticyclone which will be reach "highs of 35-40°C; while a thunderstorm phase cannot be ruled out during the following week, especially in the north." Heatwave alerts In its latest heatwave bulletin, the Italian health ministry has issued a Level 2 "orange alert" warning for five cities on Saturday - Bolzano, Brescia, Florence, Perugia and Rieti - with a lower "yellow alert" in place for 13 cities including Rome, Milan and Venice. The number of cities with an orange alert on Sunday rise to 13 - with the addition of Campobasso, Frosinone, Latina, Milan, Rome, Turin, Trieste and Verona - while a maximum Level 3 "red alert" will be in place in Florence. Italy's heat warnings: a quick guide Level 1 - Yellow: The lowest level yellow heatwave warning (bollino giallo) indicates risks of negative effects on the most vulnerable including those with chronic illness. Level 2 - Orange: The medium orange warning (bollino arancione) indicates heat levels that pose risks of negative effects on the elderly, sick or very young. Level 3 - Red: Italy's bollino rosso alert indicates emergency conditions with possible negative effects on not just the elderly, sick or very young, but also on healthy and active people. How to cope with the heat in Italy The Italian health ministry advises people to avoid exposure to the sun and outdoor activity in the middle of the day, to drink plenty of water, eat lightly and preserve their medication properly. Small children and pets should never be left in cars, even for a a short time, and people should check on elderly neighbours living alone. Dogs should be walked early in the morning or at night and given plenty of water to drink. Tourists walking around Rome can avail themselves of the ubiquitous nasoni drinking fountains but should note that the city's historic fountains are off-limits, no matter how hot it gets. For heatwave updates, see the Italian health ministry website. Image: Tourists cool off in Piazza del Popolo, Rome. Photo Wanted in Rome.

Italy is set to experience scorching hot temperatures from north to south in the days leading up to , the national summer holiday on Friday 15 August. The heatwave is expected to last until the weekend of 16-17 August and will see temperatures tip 40° Celsius in southern Italy in the coming days. Meteorologists from weather forecasting website Meteo.it say the heatwave is the result of an African anticyclone which will be reach "highs of 35-40°C; while a thunderstorm phase cannot be ruled out during the following week, especially in the north." Heatwave alerts In its latest , the Italian health ministry has issued a Level 2 "orange alert" warning for five cities on Saturday - Bolzano, Brescia, Florence, Perugia and Rieti - with a lower "yellow alert" in place for 13 cities including Rome, Milan and Venice. The number of cities with an orange alert on Sunday rise to 13 - with the addition of Campobasso, Frosinone, Latina, Milan, Rome, Turin, Trieste and Verona - while a maximum Level 3 "red alert" will be in place in Florence. Italy's heat warnings: a quick guide Level 1 - Yellow: The lowest level yellow heatwave warning (bollino giallo) indicates risks of negative effects on the most vulnerable including those with chronic illness. Level 2 - Orange: The medium orange warning (bollino arancione) indicates heat levels that pose risks of negative effects on the elderly, sick or very young. Level 3 - Red: Italy's bollino rosso alert indicates emergency conditions with possible negative effects on not just the elderly, sick or very young, but also on healthy and active people. How to cope with the heat in Italy The Italian health ministry advises people to avoid exposure to the sun and outdoor activity in the middle of the day, to drink plenty of water, eat lightly and preserve their medication properly. Small children and pets should never be left in cars, even for a a short time, and people should check on elderly neighbours living alone. Dogs should be walked early in the morning or at night and given plenty of water to drink. Tourists walking around Rome can avail themselves of the ubiquitous  but should note that the city's historic fountains are , no matter how hot it gets. For heatwave updates, see the Italian . Image: Tourists cool off in Piazza del Popolo, Rome. Photo Wanted in Rome.