Sardinia, third African heatwave on the way: 40°C expected, fire alert also triggered.

Sardinia is preparing to face the most intense phase of the third African heatwave of the year. According to iLMeteo.it forecasts, temperatures will reach 40°C in Oristano by the weekend, with extreme temperatures also expected in the eastern part of the island and in the Medio and Basso Campidano regions.

The regional Civil Protection Department has already issued a severe weather alert, valid from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, July 8. The recommendations are clear: avoid going out during the hottest hours (from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.), protect yourself from the sun with curtains and blinds, eat light meals and plenty of fruit, drink plenty of fluids, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, and wear lightweight, light-colored clothing.

FIRE RISK – And with the exceptional heatwave , the fire risk alert level for tomorrow, Wednesday, July 8, has also increased. The alert has been raised from "Medium" to "High" in Gallura and the southeast of the island, including the Campidano area of Cagliari.

The danger is characterised by the colour "Orange" and the conditions, recalls the Civil Protection, are such that, "once the trigger has occurred, the event, even if promptly addressed, can still reach such proportions that it becomes difficult to control".

IN EUROPE – The rest of Italy and Europe are not doing any better. Starting tomorrow, temperatures of up to 39°C are forecast in the Po Valley, with similar peaks in Puglia and Tuscany. The Ministry of Health's bulletin reports a surge in orange warnings, going from one to ten tomorrow, affecting cities such as Milan, Bologna, Florence, Turin, and Venice. The Tuscan capital will be the only city with a red warning on Thursday, the highest risk level for the entire population.

HEALTH ALERT – The World Health Organization has also sounded the alarm. "The next heat wave is already forming over the Atlantic," said WHO Europe Director General Hans Henri P. Kluge. "More lethal weeks could await Europe," he added: preliminary data from Western Europe indicate over 4,000 excess deaths. In Spain, in particular, temperatures have already reached 44°C in Aragon, Catalonia, and the Valencian Community; in Morocco, forecasts indicate peaks of up to 48°C.

THE SEA – Making the situation even more worrying is the state of the sea. According to the Spanish Meteorological Agency (Aemet), the Mediterranean reached unprecedented temperatures for the period at the end of June, with temperatures up to 2.6°C above normal, even exceeding the typical average for the warmest time of year, corresponding to the second half of August.

(Unioneonline)