Heat wave causes forest fires, triggers weather warnings and damages crops
The country is facing high temperatures, with a record 49°C in thermal sensation recorded this weekend in Ferrara, in the Emilia-Romagna region, according to meteorological institutes, which recorded 37°C. In Termoli, in the Molise region, the thermal sensation was 46ºC, while the thermometers showed a real temperature of 30ºC. In Capo Frasca, Sardinia, the temperature reached 37ºC, but the population felt 44ºC due to the atmospheric conditions. Italian authorities reported that in 15 regions of the country, from Piedmont to Sicily, the thermal sensation was 40ºC due to humidity and wind.
Temperatures could reach 37º in Rome this week.
Alerts were issued for 10 cities: Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Perugia, Turin, Ancona, Campossado, Florence, Perugia and Pescara. The Italian Ministry of Health warned the population against the risks of the sun, as many Italians took advantage of the high temperatures and the start of their holidays to travel to the beaches. However, the heat has caused problems in the provinces of Parma and Piacenza, with droughts and water shortages. The Italian Council of Ministers declared a state of emergency last Thursday (22).
Parts of southern and eastern Europe are being hit by temperatures above 40º Celsius due to a heat wave called “Lucifer” that caused forest fires and damaged crops.
Italy and the Balkans were hardest hit, but areas further north such as southern Poland also suffered from unusually high temperatures, and European weather service Meteoalarm issued “red” warnings, its highest, for 10 countries.
Temperatures are expected to remain around 40º C until next week. Italian winemakers began harvesting weeks earlier than usual due to extreme heat.
Carlo Petrini, founder of the Slow Food movement, wrote in the newspaper “La Stampa” that there is no record of the wine harvest having started before August 15th.
“The health of the grapes is severely tested by this climate,” Petrini wrote, adding that winemakers run the risk of finding the fruit “baked by the sun and scorching heat.”
Italian authorities have issued climate risk warnings for 26 cities, including tourist hotspots Venice and Rome, where many fountains have been shut down due to a persistent drought.
Florence's world-famous Uffizi art galleries had to temporarily close on Friday when the air-conditioning system broke down, its director told Ansa news agency.
FOLLOW ITALIANISM
