Italy set to sizzle as temperatures reach 40C

From Friday, forecasters say temperatures in parts of the country will creep up towards 40 degrees Celsius, lingering into next week.

A hot wind blowing over the peninsular from Africa will also intensify the heat, according to IlMeteo.it.

Taranto, a coastal city in Puglia, will feel the brunt of the heat, with temperatures reaching 40C.

There’ll be little respite elsewhere, with temperatures in the northe cities of Bologna and Verona ranging between 35C and 38C, while it will hit 36C in Florence and 34C in Rome.

Temperatures will be slightly cooler in Lombardy, Piedmont and in the easte lower Alps.

The summer of 2016 is following much the same patte of 2015, during which over 100 people, mostly elderly, died of heat-related illnesses.