Weather warnings were issued for 16 Italian cities last week as temperatures reached around 40˚C in northern and western parts of the country on Thursday and Friday, in what was described as “the hottest heatwave in a decade”.
A drop in temperatures brought relief to western parts of Europe on Sunday.
However, Italy continued to bake with temperatures reaching the high 30s on Monday.
The cities of Bolzano, Brescia and Florence remained under red alert on Monday, according to the Italian Health Ministry, with many other cities were still under less severe orange or yellow weather warnings.
In Rome, Pope Francis told pilgrims in Saint Peter’s Square: “I pray for those who have suffered the most from the heat in recent days; the sick, the elderly, those who work outside, on construction sites ... let no one be abandoned or exploited.”
The extreme heat has claimed the lives of at least two people in Italy.
Temperatures are expected to continue rising in Italy this week before rainstorms bring relief by Wednesday or Thursday.
