Italy and Balkans swelter under relentless heatwave

Saying it's hot in Italy is an understatement. The highest heat alert is on Friday in eight Italian cities, including Rome. Additionally, the country is under an anticyclone with a hellish name. The situation in other parts of Europe is not looking any better.

Meteorologists accurately predicted that the heat would be exceptionally hellish after the arrival of the anticyclone, which is why the phenomenon was named after the judge from Hell in Dante's Divine Comedy. The African anticyclone Minos is currently raging over Italy.

The Italian Ministry of Health has announced the third red alert level due to heat waves for Ancona, Campobasso, Frosinone, Latina, Palermo, Perugia, Rieti, and Rome. This is the highest alert level that can be issued. A lower, orange alert is in effect in Bari, Bologna, Brescia, Catania, Naples, Messina, Pescara, Reggio Calabria, and Trieste.

The ministry warned that high temperatures threaten the entire population, not just the elderly, sick, and children.

By the end of the week, temperatures are expected to reach 104°F; the highest—up to 111°F in Sardinia.

Hellish heatwaves have taken over Italian cities and the Balkans. Local authorities have urged their citizens to avoid going outside due to the exceptionally high temperatures, which peak on Friday.

Serbian and Croatian health services and meteorologists have announced a red weather alert in parts of these countries. The Serbian government has ordered employers to protect workers performing outdoor tasks from the intensifying heat wave.

"Meteorologists forecasted temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) throughout Serbia as winds from North Africa pushed a hot and dry front across the Balkans," explained Reuters, referring to meteorologists' forecasts. It added that last night, doctors in Belgrade intervened more than 100 times, mainly due to health issues among people suffering from heart conditions, particularly vulnerable to temperature increases