Italy on red alert: Tourists told to stay indoors as Nero heatwave set to send temperatures soaring above 40C
23 August 2023, 13:33
Italy is on red alert as it faces a third dangerous heatwave in the space of just two months.
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Scorching temperatures have returned to Italy this week as anticyclone Nero sweeps across the country.
Five more cities were bumped up to red alerts on Wednesday - in Genoa, Milan, Naples, Trieste and Venice - with residents considered to be at maximum heat risk.
Alerts were previously issued for 12 cities, including Bologna, Florence, Rome and Verona.
Rome and Florence have already seen highs of 38C this week, with temperatures expected to pass 40C on Thursday.
As a result, people have been warned to stay out of the sun from 10am to 6pm to avoid baking in the sun.
Read more: Met Office gives verdict on August bank holiday weekend weather
However, the sweltering weather conditions will not be staying for long as forecasters predict thunderstorms and strong winds by the end of the week.
Storm warnings are in place in the southern regions of Calabria, Basilicata and Sicily.
The return to warm temperatures in Italy comes as Greece continues to battle wildfires.
The fire risk level for several regions, including the wider Athens area, was listed as "extreme" for a second day on Tuesday.
Authorities banned public access to mountains and forests in those regions until at least Wednesday morning and ordered military patrols.
On Monday, the blazes left two people dead and two firefighters injured in northern and central Greece.
Meanwhile, the warm weather is also set to return to the UK on Wednesday - for the last time this year.
The Met Office expects temperatures to peak in the late 20s in some areas before the mercury dips and the sunshine gives way to more unsettled conditions over the bank holiday.
Many people across the country could see rain at some point over the weekend, although there should still be "plenty of dry and bright weather" to make the most of the last bank holiday before Christmas, forecasters said.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: "Tomorrow it is going to be dry with sunny spells overall in the east and south of the country.
"In terms of temperatures, we are going to have highs of 27C.
"By Friday we will have highs of 23C. It's going to be a cooler bank holiday but with drier weather on Sunday into Monday - overall a better weekend than we've had for some time.
"The trends are lower for the next few weeks. I wouldn't rule out it being the last warm spell of the year.
"(But) as we start getting into the active part of the hurricane season, with storms in the Atlantic, this can sometimes bring drier and warmer conditions."
