Italy holds the European heat record

If this temperature measured near Syracuse is confirmed, it will become a new Italian and European heat record. The previous record was 48.5 degrees Celsius in Sicily in 1999 and 48 degrees Celsius in 1977 in Ellipsina, a suburb of Athens.

A spokesman for the Italian National Weather Service said the results were still being verified and that the World Meteorological Organization, which considers the temperature measured in Greece to be a European heat record, had not responded to a request for comment.

Elsewhere in southern Italy, the Lucifer anticyclone is forecast to rise to 39-42 degrees on Wednesday. Lucifer would then move north and bring temperatures of 40 degrees to the central parts of Tuscany and Lazio, including Rome.

As the weather warmed up in the capital on Wednesday, tourists searched for shade and water.

“I like it so much — in the summer it must be hot and sweaty, so enjoy it,” said Nora Wert, 20, from France.

The island of Sicily and the Calabria region have been battling fires since the beginning of summer. Most are caused by burns, but the heat makes the situation worse. Firefighters had to react about 300 times in the last 12 hours.

The Madonna Mountains near the Sicilian capital, Palermo, have been on fire for days, destroying many crops, livestock, homes and industrial buildings.

Sicilian Governor Nello Musumeci has called for a state of emergency in the mountains, while Italian Agriculture Minister Stefano Padunelli visited the island on Wednesday and met with local mayors.

In Calabria, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Aspramonde mountain range was threatened by fire.

Dante Caserta, vice-president of the Italian branch of the environmental NGO WWF, said many resources need to be set up, such as air support, “so that we do not lose our precious heritage too late and permanently.”

The fire also spread to Sardinia, where 13 fires were recorded on Tuesday. Last month, more than 20,000 people were burned in the largest fire in recent decades west of the island. Hectare area.