2023-08-16 12:46:38
July was the hottest month ever this year, with intense and prolonged heatwaves, with nearly 40% of days featuring a moderate-to-high heat stress index and unavoidable health consequences. From 1 July to 4 August there was an excess of mortality in the cities of the Centre-South of over 500 deaths in the elderly, equal to +9% compared to expectations. This is what emerges from the “Results of the Alarm Systems (Hhwws), of the Daily Mortality Surveillance System (Sismg) and of access to the emergency room”, by the Ministry of Health and the Lazio Department of Epidemiology. The report, published on the ministry’s website, analyzes the mortality data updated to 4 August.
High increases, in particular, in Reggio Calabria (+61%) and in the cities of Sicily “where, in conjunction with the climatic risk conditions, there have been increases in air pollution associated with the fires that have affected various areas”, he explains the report underlining “a possible synergistic effect of high temperatures and pollution on the increase in total, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality in the most vulnerable segments of the population”.
In the cities of the North, on the other hand, a lower than expected mortality was recorded: -13% in the whole of the cities analysed. In northern Italy the risk conditions linked to heat waves lasted for a shorter time (9-11 July and 15-20 July), while in the Centre-South they lasted from 8 to 24-25 July: in Rome and Rieti the heat wave lasted 18 days, the other cities remained hot for 14-15 days. Maximum perceived temperature peaks exceeding 40 degrees C have been detected, and in some cities in the North (Brescia, Verona, Venice, Trieste) and in the centre-South (Civitavecchia, Rome, Messina, Palermo) these exceptional temperatures have been associated with a high humidity. A mix dangerous to health. (continued)
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