‘Hellishly hot’ southern Europe bakes under temperatures topping 104 F

Associated Press

ROME (AP) — The Italian health ministry has placed 12 cities under the most severe heat warning as a wave of hot air from Africa is baking southern Europe. Temperatures have already exceeded 104 Fahrenheit, or 40 degrees Celsius, and are expected to get even higher later in the week. Municipal authorities in several southern European and Balkan cities took measures to look after elderly people in particular as civil protection crews fielded calls for water-dropping aircraft to douse wildfires raging in southern Italy and North Macedonia. In Greece, municipalities made air-conditioned spaces available to the public, while certain forms of outdoor work were banned, including manual labor, deliveries and construction, during the hottest time of the day.