ROME, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Italy on Wednesday placed four major cities under red heatwave alert as an intense early-season heatwave sweeping across Europe pushed temperatures higher nationwide.
According to the Italian Health Ministry, Rome, Florence, Turin and Bologna will be upgraded to the highest-level red alert on Thursday amid forecasts of further temperature increases.
Authorities warned that perceived temperatures in the affected cities could climb to as high as 35 degrees Celsius, posing health risks to the general population, particularly vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children and people with pre-existing medical conditions.
Under the red alert, residents have been advised to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., when extreme heat can trigger heatstroke, dehydration and sunburn.
Italian meteorological website iLMeteo said an African anticyclone has become increasingly dominant over the Mediterranean basin, bringing unusually hot conditions to Italy in late May.
Forecasters expect the weather pattern to persist into early June, with temperatures likely to remain above seasonal averages across Italy as well as much of western and central Europe.
The unusually high temperatures are raising concerns over the arrival of summer heatwaves well ahead of schedule, with astronomical summer officially beginning on June 21.
Europe this week has been gripped by an unusually intense early-season heatwave, prompting health warnings across several countries and renewing calls for accelerated action to address climate change and extreme weather risks. ■