Italy’s heatwave has not dampened tourism, but some of the country’s most popular tourist cities have seen a surge in the number of people seeking emergency treatment for heatstroke.
Italy has been hit by a series of heat waves since mid-June, with temperatures expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in some central and southern parts of the country over the next few days.
The Ministry of Health issued a red alert for 17 cities on Monday, meaning even healthy people could be at risk from the heat, and people living in or visiting areas under a red alert are advised to avoid direct sunlight between 11am and 6pm.
Fabio De Iaco, president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine, told Corriere della Sera newspaper that as the heat intensified, the number of people seeking emergency treatment for heatstroke had risen by 20 percent in cities such as Rome, Florence, Venice and Naples.
In Rome, some people reported fainting from the heat while gathering at popular monuments such as St. Peter’s Square and the Trevi Fountain.
Dr. Pierpaolo Ciocchetti, head of the emergency department at Fatebenefratelli hospital in central Rome, said most of those needing treatment were elderly or people with other illnesses.
“But young people should not underestimate the impact of the heat,” he told Corriere della Sera newspaper, advising people not to go to emergency rooms if they have an illness that can be managed at home, adding that COVID-19 hospitalizations are also on the rise.
Most cases of heatstroke can be cured by rehydration. Only 1-2% of cases require hospitalization.
Four people were reported to have died in Italy from heat-related illnesses in July, and last week a 26-year-old woman underwent an emergency liver transplant in a Turin hospital after collapsing from heatstroke while working on a farm.
After newsletter promotion
The heat has not deterred tourism, with the number of foreign visitors to Italy expected to rise by 2.5% over 2023. In July and August, most major cities are packed with tourists while Italians flee to the beaches and mountains. But with sea temperatures also exceeding 30 degrees, it’s hard to find a place to escape the heat, even along the coast.
