Italy Faces 'Kerberos' Heatwave with Temperatures Up to 49 Degrees

Sicilia Island Highest Temperature Expected at 48.8°C
"Boiling Earth... Italy Directly Affected"

Temperatures in Italy are expected to rise as high as 49 degrees Celsius this week. The local meteorological society has even nicknamed this heatwave 'Cerberus,' the gatekeeper of hell from Dante's Divine Comedy.

On the 12th (local time), the Italian Ministry of Health forecasted temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius this week and issued a level 3 heatwave alert for 10 cities including Rome and Florence. Level 3 indicates a heat emergency that negatively affects even healthy and active individuals.

In Rome, Italy, where the heatwave continues, a tourist stands with their hand submerged in a fountain near the Pantheon on the 10th (local time).
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to the Italian Meteorological Agency, temperatures on the island of Sicily could soar to 48.8 degrees Celsius on the 14th, the highest ever recorded in European history. The Italian Meteorological Society described this heatwave as hellishly hot and dreadful, hence the name 'Cerberus.'

Cerberus is the three-headed dog who guards the gates of hell in the epic poem Divine Comedy by Italy's great writer Dante. The upcoming heatwave sweeping Italy is thus likened to hell itself.

In this regard, Luca Mercalli, president of the Meteorological Society, warned on CNN, "The Earth is suffering from extreme heat, and Italy is directly in its path."

Severe heat-related casualties are also mounting. On the 11th, a road construction worker in his 40s collapsed while working in Lodi, Lombardy. Several tourists also fainted at the Colosseum in Rome.

Italy was the country with the highest number of heatwave deaths in Europe last year as well. According to a report released on the 11th by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, there were a total of 61,672 heatwave deaths in Europe last year, with 18,010 occurring in Italy. Italy also ranked first with 295 heatwave deaths per one million people.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.