Level 3 alert in place in 15 cities across Italy on Tuesday, rising to 16 on Wednesday, as temperatures tip 39°C.Italy is in the grip of an intense early-summer heatwave, with the health ministry issuing its maximum Level 3 red alert for 15 cities on Tuesday 23 June, rising to 16 on Wednesday 24 June.The cities with the maximum alert on Tuesday are Ancona, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Florence, Frosinone, Milan, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome, Turin, Venice, Verona and Viterbo. On Wednesday, Latina joins the list, bringing the total to 16, while Trieste and Bari remain on orange alert (Level 2). The red alert - bollino rosso - denotes the highest level of alert, indicating emergency conditions with possible negative health effects not only for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, very young children and those with chronic illness, but also for healthy, active adults. Cerberus The heat is being driven by the African anticyclone known as "Cerberus", which is producing temperatures with little variation between day and night. In the Po Valley, daytime highs are reaching 37-38°C, with some local peaks beyond that. Turin could see highs of 39°C, while Rome and Naples are expected to stay below 36°C. Nights are offering little respite, with minimum temperatures failing to drop below 24-25°C in many areas - so-called "tropical nights" that prevent the body from recovering and worsen sleep quality. Meteorologists warn that this spell of anomalous heat could potentially rival the extreme summer of 2003, and the intense conditions are not expected to ease significantly until early July. Italy's health ministry monitors 27 urban centres and publishes a daily heatwave bulletin. Cities currently on orange alert include Bari and Latina today, while nine cities - among them Cagliari, Naples, Palermo and Genoa - remain on yellow (Level 1) alert. Advice The ministry's standard advice during red alert periods includes avoiding sun exposure and outdoor exertion during the middle of the day, drinking at least 1.5 litres of water daily, eating lightly, and keeping medication stored at the correct temperature. Residents and visitors are also reminded never to leave children or pets in parked cars. Italy operates a freephone health helpline on 1500 offering advice on coping with the heat, as well as information on available social and health services. For daily updates on the heatwave, see the Italian health ministry website at salute.gov.it. Photo credit: Michele Ursi / Shutterstock.com

Italy is in the grip of an intense early-summer heatwave, with the health ministry issuing its maximum Level 3 red alert for 15 cities on Tuesday 23 June, rising to 16 on Wednesday 24 June. The cities with the maximum alert on Tuesday are Ancona, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Florence, Frosinone, Milan, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome, Turin, Venice, Verona and Viterbo. On Wednesday, Latina joins the list, bringing the total to 16, while Trieste and Bari remain on orange alert (Level 2). The red alert - bollino rosso - denotes the highest level of alert, indicating emergency conditions with possible negative health effects not only for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, very young children and those with chronic illness, but also for healthy, active adults. The heat is being driven by the African anticyclone known as "Cerberus", which is producing temperatures with little variation between day and night. In the Po Valley, daytime highs are reaching 37-38°C, with some local peaks beyond that. Turin could see highs of 39°C, while Rome and Naples are expected to stay below 36°C. Nights are offering little respite, with minimum temperatures failing to drop below 24-25°C in many areas - so-called "tropical nights" that prevent the body from recovering and worsen sleep quality. Meteorologists warn that this spell of anomalous heat could potentially rival the extreme summer of 2003, and the intense conditions are not expected to ease significantly until early July. Italy's health ministry monitors 27 urban centres and publishes a daily heatwave bulletin. Cities currently on orange alert include Bari and Latina today, while nine cities - among them Cagliari, Naples, Palermo and Genoa - remain on yellow (Level 1) alert. The ministry's standard advice during red alert periods includes avoiding sun exposure and outdoor exertion during the middle of the day, drinking at least 1.5 litres of water daily, eating lightly, and keeping medication stored at the correct temperature. Residents and visitors are also reminded never to leave children or pets in parked cars. Italy operates a freephone health helpline on 1500 offering advice on coping with the heat, as well as information on available social and health services. For , see the Italian health ministry website at salute.gov.it. Photo credit: Michele Ursi / Shutterstock.com