Ten Italian cities were on heat alert Monday as searing temperatures of up to 41 C that already killed nine elderly people across the country continued this week.
The abnormally high temperatures are set to peak on Tuesday and Wednesday amid a heatwave that has also engulfed Spain, Portugal and Germany.
The Italian health ministry activated its summer telephone hotline for heat-related emergencies and advice on Monday and a Milan court allowed judges and lawyers to take off their robes when air conditioners broke down.
In 2003, over 3,000 people died in Italy during a fierce heatwave that lasted for more than three months while 15 died and 500 were hospitalised in a heatwave in 2012.
