Italy declares red alert for heat in 25 cities, while Greece mourns fallen pilots

A new wave of extreme heat is flooding Europe. Italy has declared the highest level of heat danger in almost all its major cities, and in Greece on Sunday, two firefighting helicopters collided in the air while extinguishing a fire west of Athens, resulting in the death of both crew members of one of the machines.

On Monday, the Italian Ministry of Health announced a maximum "red" alert in 25 out of 27 monitored cities – up from 19 on Saturday. The reason is the strengthening of a subtropical anticyclone from North Africa over the Mediterranean. Only Messina and Reggio Calabria – cities in southern Sicily and Calabria – remained outside this highest warning level.

Among the cities with a red code are Rome, Milan, Venice, Naples, Florence, Turin, Bologna, and Palermo. In parts of central Italy, temperatures of up to "40°C" are expected, and in the interior of Sardinia, thermometers could show up to "44°C".

The red code, which is the third level according to the Italian Ministry of Health's classification, signifies extreme heat that is dangerous not only for the elderly and young children but also for perfectly healthy adults. Residents are advised to avoid direct sun exposure between 11:00 and 18:00. The current heatwave is the fourth since the end of May and is developing against the backdrop of a prolonged drought – the Po River has reached a record low water level.

On Sunday, two firefighting helicopters, involved in extinguishing a raging fire fanned by winds in the area of Psatha in Attica, west of Athens, collided in the air. The two crew members of one machine died after the helicopter crashed in flames to the ground. The British pilot and the Greek crew member of the second helicopter survived, reports the BBC.

Television footage showed one of the helicopters breaking apart after the collision between the rotors and falling to the ground. The machines were leased by the Greek fire service and were flying from the "Elefsina" military airport, each with a crew of two.

The incident occurred against the backdrop of fires that have destroyed over 100 houses and forced the evacuation of the entire affected settlement. Nearly 500 firefighters were involved in extinguishing the flames, and under