Temperatures in Rome hit 41.8C on Tuesday, breaking the previous record of 40.7C set in June 2022. Sicily reached about 41C and there were highs of 45C in Sardinia.
In the southern city of Naples, the Cardarelli hospital said 231 patients had accessed emergency care there within the last 24 hours – the equivalent of one patient every six minutes and the highest daily number since the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
