Italy issues red heat alert for 15 cities amid extreme temperatures

Italy's Ministry of Health has issued a red heat alert for 15 cities, including Milan and Rome, as the country faces a spell of extreme temperatures.

The number of cities under the highest-level warning is expected to rise to 16 on June 24, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Under a red alert — the most severe heat warning level — the ministry advises people to eat light meals, remain indoors during the hottest hours of the day and cool themselves with cold water.

In Rome, the city's transport authority acknowledged that batteries on newly introduced electric buses are running out before drivers complete their shifts because air-conditioning systems are being used more intensively.

"We are organising transport operations to cope with this unusual heat," Rome's public transport operator Atac said in a statement.

By Aghakazim Guliyev