This year's summer was Italy’s hottest since 1950, with an average temperature of 24.3 °C, according to Italian research institute CNR-IBE.
August was the hottest month of the year so far, recording an average temperature of 25.6°C, which was 3.5°C above the average for the 1991-2020 period, the institute said.
The country was hit by several heatwaves over the summer, sending temperatures soaring in major cities.
The health ministry repeatedly issued its highest heat alert, Code Red, warning of health risks even for healthy people exposed to the extreme conditions.
The high temperatures and drought also put pressure on farming in areas along the Apennines and in the north-west of the country.
Farmers in some parts of Italy were forced to use more resources to maintain dairy production.
Drought and extreme heat are becoming an increasing problem across large parts of Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent.
During the late-June heatwave in Western Europe alone, 10,650 excess deaths were reported.
