Italy's Fourth Heatwave Ends, but a Fifth Is Coming
Italy is going through an especially hot summer, with a series of heatwaves hitting the country one after another.
The fourth heatwave is now coming to an end, but weather experts say a fifth one is already on its way.
This new wave of heat will mainly affect central and southern Italy, where the weather has been most intense.
Forecasters expect temperature peaks above 40°C in some areas during the new heatwave.
Meanwhile, Italy is described as "split in two" by the weather: the North will feel cooler and more comfortable.
The South, however, will face rising temperatures again, along with the return of red alerts.
Red alerts are official health warnings issued when heat becomes dangerous for people, especially the elderly and children.
These warnings usually advise people to avoid going outside during the hottest hours of the day.
The weather pattern behind this extreme heat is linked to an anticyclone, a large area of high pressure that traps warm air.
Anticyclones often bring stable, dry and very hot conditions for long periods of time.
This summer's repeated heatwaves show how Italy continues to experience intense and unusually persistent heat events.
Local authorities are expected to issue updated guidance as the fifth heatwave approaches in the coming days.
Vocabulary6 words
- heatwave
- a long period of very hot weather
- peaks
- the highest points reached
- red alerts
- official warnings about dangerous heat
- anticyclone
- a big area of high air pressure that brings hot, dry weather
- intense
- very strong
- persistent
- continuing for a long time
Quiz
Answer key
1. It is ending 2. The North 3. An anticyclone
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Italy is going through an especially hot summer, with a series of _____ hitting the country one after another.
The fourth heatwave is now coming to an end, but weather experts say a _____ one is already on its way.
This new wave of heat will mainly affect central and southern Italy, where the weather has been most _____.
Forecasters expect temperature peaks above _____ in some areas during the new heatwave.
The North will feel cooler, but the South will face the return of _____.
Red alerts are official health warnings issued when heat becomes _____ for people.
The weather pattern behind this extreme heat is linked to an _____, a large area of high pressure.
This summer's repeated heatwaves show how Italy continues to experience _____ heat events.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think heatwaves affect different parts of a country in different ways?
- How do you protect yourself during very hot weather?
- Do you think extreme heat like this is becoming more common? Why?
- What could governments do to help people during dangerous heatwaves?