Heatwave sweeps across Europe: Italy raises emergency alert to 'Red Alert' in 14 cities - Sarmad

Italy has raised its alert level to “red” in 14 cities as a heatwave continues to sweep across the European continent.

A warning from the Ministry of Health stated that high temperatures pose an imminent danger, particularly to the elderly, infants, and other vulnerable groups.

Italy employs a three-tier warning system: yellow for early warning, orange for potential risk, and red, which indicates that the heat now threatens the health of all citizens without exception.

Meanwhile, official statistics from seven European countries revealed approximately 14,000 excess deaths above the usual average during last June’s heatwave, along with an additional 2,200 deaths recorded by the UK Met Office between the 18th and 28th of the same month. These figures remain preliminary and are likely to rise with new updates.