Heat wave bakes southern Europe, sparking warnings to stay inside, drink water and limit exercise

Italian health officials intensified heat warnings on Monday as southern Europe began a brutally hot week with temperatures expected to top 40 degree Celsuis on a continent already sizzling under the sun and overburdened by tourists.

Italian health officials intensified heat warnings on Monday as southern Europe began a brutally hot week with temperatures expected to top 40 degree Celsuis on a continent already sizzling under the sun and overburdened by tourists.

The Health Ministry urged regions to beef up house-call services so older people don't have to go out if they need medical care and to set up dedicated heat stations at hospitals to treat emergency cases.

The Ministry also issued 10 recommendations to protect elderly people, the sick and pets from the heat, urging people to stay indoors during the hottest hours, drink at least 1.5 litres of water a day and refrain from strenuous exercise at peak daylight times. Local celebrities went on state-run RAI television to read the recommendations aloud, in hopes of spreading the message.

The culprit is a high-pressure anticyclone dubbed Cerberus — the multi-headed dog that guards gates to the underworld in Greek mythology. The third heat wave in a month was expected to affect much of the Mediterranean and last until Wednesday.

“The bubble of hot air that has inflated over southern Europe has turned Italy and surrounding countries into a giant pizza oven,” Hannah Cloke, a climate scientist and physical geographer at the University of Reading, said in a statement. “The hot air which pushed in from Africa is now staying put, with settled high pressure conditions meaning that heat in warm sea, land and air continues to build.”

The mercury in Rome hit 39 degrees Celsuis by 3 p.m. on Monday afternoon. Italy's capital was expected to be even hotter on Tuesday, topping 40 degrees Celsuis as were several other cities, in particular in Sardinia and Sicily.

Power outages were hitting parts of Rome as electric grids suffered under heavier demand from air conditioners as people sought relief. Italian farm lobby Coldiretti, meanwhile, issued an alarm about the plight of domestic and farm animals, noting that cows are producing around 10% less milk as a result of the heat.