Five people have died in Italy as the country endures a severe heatwave, with 17 cities placed under the highest-level heat alert for Thursday, according to state news agency ANSA. The fatalities include two farmers, a homeless person in Naples, a man who died at a cemetery in front of his parents' grave, and a worker who fell ill while working on a water system in the Padua area.
Victims of the Heatwave
A 61-year-old man died yesterday afternoon in the province of Piacenza. He had been working in a vineyard in a small hamlet in the Nure Valley in the scorching heat. His brother found him lying lifeless among the vine rows at around 2pm. Emergency services arrived quickly but were unable to save him. The Carabinieri are investigating.
Stefano Santagostino, 56, collapsed while standing at his parents' grave at a cemetery in Garlasco near Milan. His temperature was 37C when he fell ill. Emergency services rushed to the scene, but he was pronounced dead. Local media reported that further investigations will determine the extent to which heat caused his fatal illness.
Temperature Forecasts and Alerts
Temperatures of 40C and 41C are forecast for Italy's Florence and Po Valley regions, expected to peak between next Saturday and Monday. Italy's health ministry placed 17 cities—including Florence, Milan, Rome, Turin, and Verona—on its highest heat alert and warned the heatwave could intensify further, peaking between Sunday and Monday.
Broader European Impact
Europe is experiencing one of its most intense heatwaves in recent memory, with record-breaking temperatures and significant impacts across several countries. At least 48 people have died in France from drowning while trying to cool off, authorities said. Two young children were killed by heat in a car, and another youngster died in a vehicle outside his family home yesterday.
The heatwave has been linked to the deaths of more than 200 people across Spain between Monday and Wednesday this week. Data from the Daily Mortality Monitoring System (MoMo) of the Carlos III Health Institute in Madrid shows that 213 people died across Spain during that period.
In the UK, the Met Office confirmed that Wednesday saw the hottest June day on record, with temperatures soaring to 36.1C (97F) in Gosport, Hampshire, smashing a record from 1976. Forecasts predict temperatures of up to 38C in parts of the UK today, potentially breaking the new record.
