The heat shows no sign of letting up, with four deaths in Italia. The peak is expected at the weekend

The peak of the heatwave – the second of the year – is expected to hit Italia between this weekend and next Monday. The heatwave has swept across Europe, breaking record after record on the Old Continent.

And sadly, the first victims of the high temperatures have also been reported in our country: following the death last night of a 57-year-old man in a field in the Lodi area, three further deaths have been reported today: a 61-year-old man who lost his life whilst working in the vineyards since the morning in the Piacenza area, a 56-year-old man who died suddenly at Garlasco cemetery in front of his parents’ grave; and finally, a homeless man found dead in a square in Naples.

In Florence and the Po Valley, with temperatures of 40 and 41 degrees, according to the Lamma-CNR Consortium, the highest temperatures expected in Italy will be recorded this coming Saturday and Monday respectively.

But even today, the sweltering heat has already made itself felt in the Tuscan capital: the Uffizi has decided to limit visitor numbers and suspend ticket sales for today only, as the above-average temperatures have put the air-conditioning system under severe strain. “Every measure has been taken,” the museum stated, “to minimise the discomfort for visitors and staff, as well as to ensure the safety of the artworks.” The number of ‘red alerts’ continues to rise: following 16 on Wednesday, there will be 17 on Thursday and 18 on Friday. These figures have prompted the Minister of Health,

Orazio Schillaci has called a technical meeting at the ministry to discuss the heatwave emergency. “We must protect the vulnerable, the elderly and children,” he explained.