by InTrieste
Italy is likely to experience another blistering summer, with researchers predicting higher-than-average temperatures and an increase in extreme weather events.
In an interview with Arturo Pucillo, a meteorologist at ARPA FVG, he explained the severity of the situation. “Last May was the hottest one globally speaking. Although we can’t say that this summer will be the hottest, but there are many indicators that it might.” Pucillo said. “The extended periods of high temperatures pose significant risks not only to public health but also to agriculture and infrastructure.”
Last summer, the June-July-August period was the hottest ever recorded globally, with an average temperature of 16.77 degrees Celsius, 0.66 degrees above the norm, according to the European Union’s Copernicus weather service. Meteorologists warn that the summer of 2024 may set another heat record for the European Union, continuing a troubling trend. Europe has experienced 11 consecutive months of record-breaking warmth, and the surface temperatures of the North Atlantic have reached their highest levels in at least 40 years.
Concerns about the impending heat are heightened by the current weather patterns. On Wednesday, July 10, the Italian health ministry issued an orange alert heat warning for Rome and Perugia, as the country faces its first heatwave of the summer. The heatwave, driven by the African anticyclone Minosse, is expected to push temperatures in Italy to a sweltering 40 degrees Celsius this week.
By Thursday, the orange alert will extend to ten cities, with Ancona, Bologna, Campobasso, Frosinone, Palermo, Pescara, Rieti, and Viterbo joining Rome and Perugia. The orange heatwave warning (bollino arancione) signifies weather conditions that pose significant risks to the elderly, the sick, and the very young.
As Italy braces for the upcoming heat, the public is advised to stay informed about health advisories and take necessary precautions to mitigate the impact of the extreme weather.
For more detailed health advisories, visit health ministry website.
