Hot and sunny in the south, thunderstorms and hail in the north.

(ANSA) – ROME, JUL 24 – Italy remained divided in two on Monday between intense heat in the centre and south and violent thunderstorms with hail in the north, according to Antonio Sanò of the website www.iLMeteo.it.
The regions most at risk of extreme bad weather events are Lombardy, Trentino Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, according to the most recent forecasts.

Thunderstorms are forecast staring from Monday evening and especially on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the arrival of cool air at altitude from Northern Europe.
Over the rest of the country, the African anticyclone Charon will continue to ensure plenty of sun and heat in the first half of the week, with temperatures reaching 48°C in Puglia, Sardinia and Sicily.
The high pressure system is then expected to weaken as of Thursday, prompting a drop in temperature of up to 10-12 degrees.

Meanwhile, the health ministry said on Monday 16 major cities would remain on red heat alert through Tuesday.
They are Bari, Cagliari, Campobasso, Catania, Civitavecchia, Firenze, Frosinone, Latina, Massina, Napoli, Palermo, Perugia, Pescara, Reggio Calabria, Rieti and Roma.
On Wednesday the number is expected to drop to two, with only Bari and Catania remaining.
When the health ministry puts a city on red alert it means the heat is so intense it is considered a threat to the whole population, not just vulnerable groups such as the sick, the elderly and small children.(ANSA).