Rome included in 'bollino rosso' warning.

Italy has issued a maximum 'red alert' for 17 cities on Friday 19 July as an intense heatwave sweeps the country, with temperatures in the south set to top 40°C this weekend.

The cities included in the heat warning for Friday are: Ancona, Bari, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Campobasso, Florence, Frosinone, Latina, Palermo, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome, Trieste, Verona and Viterbo.

The 'bollino rosso' indicates emergency conditions with a risk of negative effects on not just the elderly, sick or very young, but also on healthy and active people.

The Italian health ministry recommends avoiding outdoor activity in the middle of the day, advising people to drink plenty of water, eat lightly and preserve their medication properly.

Prosegue allerta ondate di calore: fino a venerdì 19 luglio previsto a Roma livello 3 (rosso)

Le ondate di calore hanno effetti sulla salute ed è importante proteggersi. Info utili https://t.co/1PCemqKxJF

Attiva h24 sala operativa Protezione Civile: 800854854. pic.twitter.com/RM96dxgEAJ

— Roma (@Roma) July 17, 2024

The current heatwave in Italy is compounded by a sweltering humidity - a muggy midsummer air known as Afa - that can make it difficult to sleep at night.

The red alert will remain in place on Saturday for 12 Italian cities: Ancona, Bari, Campobasso, Florence, Frosinone, Latina, Palermo, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Roma and Viterbo.

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Italy has a 1500 telephone helpline active from 09.00 to 18.00 to provide people with advice on how to cope with the heat as well as information about social and health services available.

For detailed heatwave information, updated daily, see Italy's health ministry website.

Photo credit: : Adam McCullough / Shutterstock.com.