ROME, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Italy on Thursday placed all 27 major cities monitored by the Health Ministry under the highest-level red alert for extreme heat for the first time since the country's heat warning system was introduced, as the fourth heatwave of the year continued to grip the country, according to Italy's ANSA news agency.
The latest red alerts were extended to the southern cities of Messina and Reggio Calabria, bringing the total number of cities under the maximum warning level to 27.
Weather forecasters said the current spell of scorching temperatures is expected to persist for at least another 10 days, with temperatures reaching around 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the country.
The Health Ministry's Level 3 red alert indicates a heatwave emergency characterized by prolonged high temperatures that pose health risks not only to vulnerable groups, but also to healthy people.
According to forecasts, the northern city of Bolzano is expected to see its warning level downgraded to orange on Friday, while the remaining cities are likely to stay under red alert.
Italy has experienced four major heatwaves so far this summer. The prolonged heat, together with drought and wildfires, has been linked to a number of deaths and disrupted economic activities, particularly in the agricultural sector.
Around 70,000 hectares have burned in Italy because of wildfires so far this summer, an area equivalent to roughly 100,000 soccer fields, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said in a report on Wednesday.
Scientists were quoted by Ansa as saying that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including heatwaves, droughts, severe storms and flooding, making such events more common across the Mediterranean region. ■