City records 26 tropical nights in a row since mid-June.Italy's health ministry has issued a maximum 'red alert' for Rome on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 July as an intense heatwave sweeps the country.The bollino rosso indicates emergency conditions with a risk of negative effects on the elderly, sick or very young, as well as healthy and active people. Authorities are urging residents and tourists to take precautions in dealing with the high temperatures. Red alerts elsewhere In the health ministry's latest heatwave bulletin, seven cities are under red alert on Wednesday: Brescia, Bologna, Florence, Frosinone, Perugia, Rome and Turin. The number of cities with the bollino rosso rises to 15 on Thursday with the addition of Cagliari, Campobasso, Genoa, Latina, Palermo, Pescara, Rieti and Viterbo. Tropical nights The Italian capital has recorded 26 consecutive "tropical nights" since 17 June, according to official data released on Tuesday, with minimum temperatures never dropping below 20°C and almost no rainfall. Of the first 12 days of July, ten saw maximum temperatures of 35°C or higher, with an average high of 35.9°C and a peak of 37.9°C on 1 July; the highest reading of the whole spell remains the 40.1°C recorded on 29 June. Rome has been essentially dry since mid-June, with just 6.1mm of rain falling in the whole of June, 86 per cent below average, followed by only 1.8mm in the first 12 days of July. Guidelines Rome's guidelines for coping with the heat include staying indoors between 10.00 and 18.00; drinking at least 1.5 litres of water per day; staying clear of fizzy drinks, alcohol and coffee; eating light meals, vegetables and fruit; wearing light clothes; and never leaving children or animals in cars. The city also urges residents and tourists to download the Waidy Wow app which locates the nearest nasoni drinking fountains around the capital. Italy has a 1500 telephone helpline active from 09.00 to 18.00 offer advice on how to manage the heat as well as information about social and health services available. Anticyclone The current African anticyclone is tracking further east than in previous heatwaves this summer, striking Italy directly rather than merely brushing past it. Sardinia and, from midweek, the Tyrrhenian coast are bearing the brunt, with forecasters expecting highs of up to 45°C on the island. The hot spell is expected to persist until the end of the week, when cooler air arriving from the north-east should begin to ease temperatures, first in northern regions and gradually further south. Photo credit: MZeta / Shutterstock.com

Italy's health ministry has issued a maximum 'red alert' for Rome on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 July as an intense heatwave sweeps the country. The bollino rosso indicates emergency conditions with a risk of negative effects on the elderly, sick or very young, as well as healthy and active people. Authorities are urging residents and tourists to take precautions in dealing with the high temperatures. In the health ministry's , seven cities are under red alert on Wednesday: Brescia, Bologna, Florence, Frosinone, Perugia, Rome and Turin. The number of cities with the bollino rosso rises to 15 on Thursday with the addition of Cagliari, Campobasso, Genoa, Latina, Palermo, Pescara, Rieti and Viterbo. The Italian capital has recorded 26 consecutive "tropical nights" since 17 June, according to official data released on Tuesday, with minimum temperatures never dropping below 20°C and almost no rainfall. Of the first 12 days of July, ten saw maximum temperatures of 35°C or higher, with an average high of 35.9°C and a peak of 37.9°C on 1 July; the highest reading of the whole spell remains the 40.1°C recorded on 29 June. Rome has been essentially dry since mid-June, with just 6.1mm of rain falling in the whole of June, 86 per cent below average, followed by only 1.8mm in the first 12 days of July. Rome's  for coping with the heat include staying indoors between 10.00 and 18.00; drinking at least 1.5 litres of water per day; staying clear of fizzy drinks, alcohol and coffee; eating light meals, vegetables and fruit; wearing light clothes; and never leaving children or animals in cars. The city also urges residents and tourists to download the  which locates the nearest  around the capital. Italy has a  active from 09.00 to 18.00 offer advice on how to manage the heat as well as information about social and health services available. The current African anticyclone is tracking further east than in previous heatwaves this summer, striking Italy directly rather than merely brushing past it. Sardinia and, from midweek, the Tyrrhenian coast are bearing the brunt, with forecasters expecting highs of up to 45°C on the island. The hot spell is expected to persist until the end of the week, when cooler air arriving from the north-east should begin to ease temperatures, first in northern regions and gradually further south. Photo credit: MZeta / Shutterstock.com