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In its latest heatwave bulletin published on Saturday, the Italian health ministry says that by Monday, some 25 of the country’s 27 major cities will be on red alert.<\/p>\n
It says it expects only two – Reggio Calabria in the southern tip of Italy’s “boot” and Messina, facing it across on the island of Sicily – to be on the second-highest “amber” alert.<\/p>\n
The ministry urges residents in the affected areas to avoid exposure to heat and direct sunlight during the hottest hours between 11:00 and 18:00, stay indoors and drink plenty of fluids.<\/p>\n
The extreme heat is being caused by a subtropical anticyclone from North Africa that is now strengthening over the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, firefighters in Greece, France, Portugal and Spain are still tackling blazes spanning thousands of hectares.<\/p>\n
In France, some 2,500 people were evacuated in the south-eastern Var region on Friday evening after a blaze – which had been contained for several days – reignited, local officials said.<\/p>\n
But a massive fire in the south-western Gironde region is now under control, and some 200,000 local evacuated residents have been able to return to their homes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n