ROME: Italy was split in two Tuesday between record heat and wildfires in the southern regions and violent storms in the north, as extreme weather killed at least five people and wounded several, Anadolu Agency (AA) quoted the authorities.
Sixteen cities were put on red alert because of extraordinarily high temperatures, as an exceptional heat wave continued, followed by intense phenomena like thunderstorms and tornadoes.
A wildfire forced Sicily’s capital, Palermo, to shut down its airport for hours, before reopening early Tuesday, as firefighters tried to get flames under control in a nearby area, where road and rail traffic was also disrupted.
An 88-year-old woman died after an ambulance could not reach her home due to the blaze, authorities reported.
Two carbonised bodies, still unidentified, were found in a small house in the Cinisi area, close to the Palermo airport. Rescuers said the two were in their 70s and were probably killed by the flames.
The new incidents added to recent problems in Sicily’s main Catania airport, causing wide delays and cancellations at the peak of an already packed tourist season.
The airport in Catania was closed last week due to a fire in a terminal building and has just recently reopened for a few flights.
In addition, Palermo and Catania both suffered power and water supply cuts, which local officials blamed partially on the exceptional heat.
In some parts of eastern Sicily, temperatures rose to 47.6C (117.7F) on Monday, close to a European high of 48.8C (119.8F) recorded by the island two years ago.
A 98-year-old man in the other southern region of Calabria died as the flames from a wildfire reached his home. – BERNAMA-ANADOLU
