ROME, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- The intense heatwave gripping Italy is breaking records in many regions, from the country's largest cities to its most remote Alpine outposts.
ARPA, Italy's Regional Agency for Environmental Protection, part of the Ministry of Environment, reported on Monday that temperatures atop Mont Blanc remained above freezing for nearly a day and a half on Saturday and Sunday -- an unprecedented occurrence.
At 4,809 meters above sea level, Mont Blanc is the tallest mountain in the European Union. Spanning the Alpine border between Italy and France, its highest reaches are typically frozen year-round.
It is rare for temperatures to climb above freezing on Mont Blanc, but this has already occurred three times this year, according to ARPA offices in Val d'Aosta, the northern region that includes the Italian side of the mountain. The agency reported that temperatures briefly rose above freezing on July 18, July 30, and Aug. 5. However, the latest increase lasted for a record 33 hours between Saturday and Sunday.
Extended periods of temperatures above freezing will accelerate the retreat of the massive glaciers covering the highest parts of Mont Blanc. Last year, a report from France's Haute-Savoie observatory noted that the mountain had measurably shrunk compared to two years earlier due to ice loss.
The unusually high temperatures are not limited to high altitudes in Italy. As of Monday, 17 of the country's 27 largest cities were under a "red" alert, matching the highest number recorded this year. A "red" alert indicates that temperatures pose a health risk to the general public during the hottest part of the day.
Monday's record-tying number of cities under a "red" alert is expected to increase to 19 on Tuesday and 22 on Wednesday, according to the latest bulletin from the Ministry of Health. While temperatures will remain below the all-time record highs set in 2023, the ministry's data show that this year's heatwave is unusually widespread.
All five cities not expected to be under a "red" alert by Wednesday are located in southern or central Italy and are situated along the coast.
The meteorological monitoring site Il Meteo reported on Monday that Italy will experience a "non-stop heatwave" by the Ferragosto holiday on Aug. 15. However, the site noted that temperatures are expected to cool in central and northern Italy starting next Sunday, accompanied by thunderstorms.
This is the third consecutive year Italy has faced intense, prolonged, and dry heatwaves. This year, however, the heatwaves began in mid-June, even before the official start of summer.
