Heat waves prompt red alerts in 16 Italian cities

Authorities in Italy on Saturday issued red alerts in 16 cities due to blistering heat waves that continue to bake much of southern Europe.

The alerts, which indicate risks even for healthy people, apply to tourist hotspots including Rome, Florence, and Bologna for the coming days, reports the BBC.

The Italian government has advised anyone in the areas covered by Saturday's red alerts to avoid direct sunlight between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., and to take particular care of the elderly or vulnerable.

The ongoing heatwaves in Europe has been named Cerberus by the Italian Meteorological Society, after the three-headed monster that features in Dante's Inferno.

Italian weather forecasters are warning that the next heatwave -- dubbed Charon after the ferryman who delivered souls into the underworld in Greek mythology -- could push temperatures back up above 40 degrees Celsius next week.

In its latest update, the European Space Agency (ESA) warned that Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Poland are likely to witness extreme conditions as a fresh heat wave is likely to begin from next week, reports the BBC.

On Friday, Greece witness temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or higher, prompting authorities to close the Acropolis, the country's most popular tourist attraction, during the hottest hours of the day to protect visitors.

Meanwhile in Croatia, fires broke out on Thursday, burning houses and cars in at least one village, Grebastica, on the Dalmatian coast.

Officials told Croatian TV on Friday that the fire had been brought under control.

High temperatures have also been reaching the central parts of Europe, with Germany and Poland among countries affected, the BBC reported.

Czechia's meteorological office issued a warning that temperatures at the weekend could go above 38 degrees, which is exceptionally high for the country.

In the UK, heavy showers and gusty winds are expected in parts of England on Saturday.

Earlier this week, a man in his forties died from the heat after collapsing in northern Italy, while several visitors to the country have collapsed from heatstroke, including a British man outside the Colosseum in Rome.