The Italian health ministry has issued a heat alert for six Italian cities for Thursday and for 16 on Friday.
The red alert indicates the maximum risk level for all the population, and not just the more fragile sections of the population, the ministry said.
Forecasters see temperatures rising even above the record 2003 heat wave.
Temperatures will hit the low 40s in the cities cited, they said.
The alert has been issued Thursday for Bolzano, Brescia, Florence, Perugia, Rieti and Rome.
These six cities will be joined Friday by Bari, Bologna, Frosinone, Latina, Milan, Naples, Turin, Venice, Verona and Viterbo.
The ministry says people should avoid exposure to the sun between 11:00 and 18:00, a time when physical activity outside should also be avoided.
It further advised people to drink liquids, eat lightly, take care to preserve drugs properly, and use air conditioning correctly.
Via ANSA
