Italy puts 15 cities on red alert due to weekend heat waves

Italy on Friday put over 15 cities on red alert due to expected heat waves this weekend.

High temperatures will be felt over the weekend in several Italian cities, said the nation's Health Ministry, the ANSA agency reported.

The ministry put 15 cities on red alert for Saturday and 16 for Sunday, including Rome, Bologna, Florence, Catania, Campobasso, Bari, Frosinone, Latina, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Viterbo, Cagliari, Civitavecchia, Messina, and Palermo.

The heat waves threaten not only the elderly, medically vulnerable people, and children but the entire population, the warning said.

Temperatures are expected to soar 12C (53.6F) higher than average.

The Saturday forecast for Rome is 37C (98.6F), and 43C (109.4F) on Sunday.

" Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Poland are all facing a major heatwave with air temperatures expected to climb to 48C (118.4F) on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia-potentially the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe," the European Space Agency said on Thursday, adding that the soaring mercury on the continent follow "record-shattering global temperatures."