By Euronews
The fifth heatwave reached its peak on Friday, splitting Italy in two, with temperatures in the centre and south and on the islands rising above 40°C, a full ten degrees above average, and severe thunderstorms expected in the north in the coming hours.
Making matters worse is the humidity, which pushes the perceived temperature at least five degrees above the actual reading, as well as scorching nights, dubbed "tropical", with temperatures in many cases close to 30°C.
Despite a slight improvement forecast for the coming days, meteorologists have warned that temperatures will remain well above seasonal norms in September.
Nine cities are on red alert for the heat emergency, where health risks linked to extreme heat and humidity are significant even for people not considered vulnerable. These are Bari, Cagliari, Campobasso, Catania, Latina, Messina, Palermo, Reggio Calabria and Rome.
