The northern part of Italy around Venice is under heavy storm.
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Italian cities “have no long-term future†as tourist destinations because they’re becoming too hot, Germany’s health minister said as he described intense heat while visiting Italy on holiday.
Italy’s government insisted on Monday that it has a plan to make tourism “sustainable†despite the climate crisis after German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach wrote during a trip to Italy that tourism in the country “has no futureâ€.
“The heatwave here is spectacular,†the epidemiologist, a member of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), wrote on Twitter at the start of his trip.
“If things continue like this, these vacation destinations will have no long-term future.
“Climate change is destroying southern Europe. An era is coming to an end."
According to IlMeteo.it, the weather will remain hot and dry in central and southern parts of the country, which have set new records for high temperatures in recent weeks.
However, the intensity of the heatwave will diminish slightly this week. By Wednesday, only two of Italy's 27 major cities will be under a "red alert," down from 16 on Monday, and more than 20 last week.
A "red alert" means that the heat can represent a health risk, even for young people with no health issues.
Starting Thursday, the weather will cool off even in the central and southern parts of the country, although it will not be accompanied by the rainstorms set to batter the north.
IlMeteo.it reported thunderstorm warnings for Monday and Tuesday in seven Italian regions: Lombardy, Veneto, Piedmont, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Valle d'Aosta, and Liguria.
The site has predicted heavy rains that could lead to flooding, wind with gusts of up to 130 km per hour, and over-sized hail that could damage crops.
In the town of Lissone, located in the province of Monza, a 58 years old woman lost her life after being struck by a falling tree while walking on the road.
Several vehicles also suffered material damage due to trees falling in different locations.
Meanwhile, the storm has caused disruptions to both city and air transportation in Milan. ■