DESTROYED CROP: Italian farmer Mattia Marengo inspects his sunflower field damaged by the heat in the countryside in Bene Vagienna, near Cuneo, north-western Italy. PHOTO: AFP
ROME/
BUDAPEST:
Italy took the unprecedented step of putting all its major cities on the top level of health alert due to high temperatures on Thursday, while Hungary turned off the lights at some of its best-known buildings to save energy as a heatwave maintained its grip on large parts of Europe.
Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent, has been ravaged by record-breaking heat and destructive wildfires this summer, with France and Spain particularly hard hit in recent weeks.
The European Union will push its member countries to spend more on measures to reduce wildfire risk, its environment commissioner told Reuters, as experts said the economic cost of this summer’s blazes had already exceeded 15 billion ($17.3 billion).
Bulgaria in southeast Europe was the latest EU country to be hit by wildfire. The main Trakia highway was closed in both directions on Thursday after the wind carried the flames of a huge fire across it around 70 km (45 miles) southeast of the capital Sofia, NOVA news portal reported.
Italy is accustomed to hot summers, but the red alert issued by the Health Ministry stretched from Palermo on the southern island of Sicily to Bolzano in the mountainous north.
The warning indicated a potential health emergency with prolonged high temperatures posing a serious health risk to the entire population.
Pilgrims gathered under a blazing summer sun in the hilltop town of Assisi were sprayed with water to cool them off as Pope Leo paid a visit to mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis.
“I think that when you really care about something, when you truly believe in it, even if it’s hot, you make the effort,” said Miriam Mariotti, a volunteer at the event.
Tourists in Rome used umbrellas to keep the sun off and dipped their hands in the city’s fountains.
“We try to avoid going out during the hottest part of the day and instead go out in the evening or early in the morning,” said Gianni Arlotta, visiting from the northern Italian city of Trieste.
