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One person drowned on Monday after the Frejus river in Italy’s north flooded, while a 47-year-old working on a construction site near Bologna died during a concrete pour.
The two deaths occurred as an African anticyclone continued to spread across the European continent, hitting Spain, Portugal, France, and even the UK and sparking a major heatwave.
In Bardonecchia — a mountain tourist resort near Turin — heavy rain caused the Frejus river to flood on Monday, leading water and mud to overflow onto local roads. The 70-year-old Bardonecchia resident drowned after he attempted to get out of his van, according to reports.
Authorities urged residents and holidaymakers to stay inside and away from the banks of the Frejus.
Also on Monday, a 47-year-old construction worker died near Bologna after suffering a suspected heatstroke while pouring concrete. An autopsy has been ordered in a bid to determine the cause of his death.
Following the incident, Italian trade unions Bologna CGIL and Fillea-Cgil said they were “waiting to know the actual cause of death”.
“At this terrible time, it is essential to promote a culture of safety. The weather emergency has aggravated the conditions of those who work outside every day, and companies must give absolute priority to protecting workers,” they pointed out.
As the scorching heat continues, authorities on Tuesday placed several regions in northern Italy under a yellow weather alert, while 17 cities scattered across the country—including Florence, Bologna, and Turin—were either under yellow alert or placed on an even higher red alert.
In light of the extreme heat, multiple Italian regions have decided to ban outdoor work activities during the hottest hours of the day until August 31.
This measure has been implemented in regions including Lazio — home to Italy’s capital, Rome — Basilicata, Sicily, Apulia, Umbria, Tuscany, Liguria, Campania and Calabria.
Meanwhile in the northern region of Lombardy, work in construction areas, quarries, farms and floricultural businesses will be halted on days when there is a particularly “high” risk.
Temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius in France and Italy on Monday, while they exceeded 43 degrees in Spain and Portugal.
However, in recent days, the record has been topped by temperatures recorded in the city of Huelva, located in the Spanish region of Andalusia, which reached 46 degrees Celsius on Sunday.
In light of climate change, extreme weather events are becoming increasingly frequent and intense, with heatwaves, droughts and floods occurring only days apart.
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