Most of Italy's big cities on red alert as heatwave rages

The health ministry on Wednesday had

16 of Italy's 27 biggest cities on red alert due to the danger

posed by the high temperatures of the heatwave that is baking

Italy and much of Western Europe.

On Wednesday Latina joined 15 cities that were already on red

alert - Ancona, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Florence, Frosinone,

Milan, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome, Turin, Verona, Venice and

Viterbo.

Bari will join the cities on maximum alert on Thursday, taking

the total up to 17.

The health ministry's alert system has three levels in addition

to level zero, green, meaning there is no alert.

Level one, yellow, is pre-alert, while level two, orange, means

the temperatures and weather conditions can pose health risks,

especially for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and the

ill.

Level three, red, means the heat poses a risk to the health of

the general population, not just vulnerable groups.

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