00:00The fifth heat wave reached its peak on Friday, splitting Italy into two, with temperatures in the center and south
00:07and on the islands rising above 40 degrees Celsius, a full 10 degrees above average, and severe thunderstorms expected in
00:15the north in the coming hours.
00:17Making matters worse is the humidity, which pushes the perceived temperature at least 5 degrees above the actual reading, as
00:24well as scorching nights, dubbed tropical, with temperatures in many cases close to 30 degrees.
00:30Despite a slight improvement forecast for the coming days, experts have warned that temperatures will remain well above seasonal norms
00:37in September.
00:38Nine cities are on red alert for the heat emergency, where health risks linked to extreme heat and humidity are
00:44significant, even for people not considered vulnerable.
00:48In urban centers including Rome, temperatures have hovered between 39 and 40 degrees Celsius, but the most critical situation has
00:56been recorded in Calabria, with peaks of 44.6 degrees.
01:01Six of those red alert cities are expected to get a brief respite over the weekend, while islands like Sicily
01:07and Sardinia are expected to continue to face peaks of 43 degrees in the coming days.
