AN urgent warning has been issued to Irish holidaymakers as a “record-breaking” heatwave is set to hit popular sunshine spot.
Parts of Italy are bracing for extreme temperatures this week.
Weather warnings have been issued for holidaymakers travelling to the tourist hotspot over the next week.
Italy has placed 22 cities under red alert as the nation braces for yet another scorching heatwave in a summer that has shattered all previous records.
And Italian authorities are now emphasising that everyone is at risk from the dangers posed by soaring temperatures.
Authorities are urging tourists and locals alike to avoid direct sunlight during the hottest parts of the day and to ensure they stay hydrated.
In the Lazio region, which includes Rome, an emergency plan has been activated to address the health impacts of the extreme heat.
This comes as hospitals report a rise in emergency treatments for heat-related illnesses.
Older adults, in particular those over 65, are at a much higher risk, as Italy has a major aging population.
Dr. Giuseppe Famularo from San Camillo-Forlanini hospital in Rome said the extreme heat poses dangers to those more vulnerable and could lead to some serious health issues.
He said: “The most common health problems around this time of the year include the worsening of chronic diseases such as heart-related issues, like arrhythmia, infections, and kidney function is also affected, as well as behavioural issues.”
There are also growing concerns about the safety of outdoor workers during extreme heat.
It’s estimated that a whopping 4,000 workplace injuries in Italy each year are related to heat.
Trade unions, particularly in the construction sector, have launched a campaign to highlight these risks, calling on the government to implement new regulations to protect workers.
Alessandro Genovesi, secretary-general of Filea Cgil, the Italian federation representing workers in construction highlighted the issue in a statement.
He said: “Today health and safety issues and injuries in the workplace have to be put in the current context, which is characterised by climate change.
“So much has changed if you compare working in the building sector 30 years ago to today, between June and September.
“An 8-hour working day can be organised by working a total of 6 and a half to 7 hours in summer and 8 to 9 working hours in winter.”
Despite the extreme heat, the number of tourists visiting Italy is expected to increase, with nearly a 2% rise in tourism during the summer months compared to last year.
Meanwhile, scientists have warned of record 33C temperatures and an extreme summer heat threat for Ireland.
Research by scientists at Maynooth University has confirmed that extreme heat of 33C is now 20 times more likely to happen.
High temperatures have gone from once in 180 year events to once in nine year events in Ireland, which makes them 20 times more likely to occur.
The study was conducted by Maynooth University’s ICARUS climate research centre and mathematicians from its Hamilton Institute, which will feed into the work of the Climate+ initiative.
This is a cross-border collaboration involving all the universities in Ireland funded by the Science Foundation Ireland.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Ireland was in 1887 in Kilkenny Castle when mercury reached 33.3C.
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