Italy heatwave leaves 4 dead as 17 cities face red alert

Four people died in Italy on Wednesday amid an intense heatwave sweeping the country, with authorities placing 17 cities under the highest-level heat alert for Thursday, state news agency ANSA reported.

The fatalities included two farmers in the northern provinces of Lodi and Piacenza, a homeless person in Naples, and a man who died at a cemetery in Garlasco near Pavia in the Lombardy region.

Italy continues to experience exceptionally high temperatures affecting large parts of the country.

Authorities issued red heat alerts for 17 cities on Thursday, the highest warning level in the country's heat monitoring system.

A red alert indicates weather conditions severe enough to pose health risks not only to vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children and people with chronic illnesses, but also to healthy individuals.

Italy is among several European countries experiencing elevated temperatures at the start of the summer season.