Italian authorities are concerned about the heat in the southern region of Puglia. Within 24 hours, five people have died on various beaches. Temperatures there exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.
On Tuesday, two people died on beaches in Salento, in the south of Puglia. One of them became unwell while swimming in the sea near the town of Torre dell’Orso. The other suffered a cardiac arrest on the beach in Torre Inserraglio, according to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
A day earlier, three people died. All three died while seeking cooling in the sea at various beaches in the provinces of Lecce and Brindisi. One of them was a nineteen-year-old girl who had underlying health problems. The other two became unwell while swimming.
Italian authorities cannot say for certain that the victims actually died as a result of the extremely high temperatures, according to news agency Ansa.
The heat will continue in the coming days, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. In addition to Puglia, the regions of Basilicata and Calabria, and the island of Sicily are also struggling with extreme heat. This is caused by a high-pressure area moving from Africa towards Southern Italy.