Heat emergency, alarm for the elderly and children: two dead in Sardinia and a truck driver on the highway

Roma – Europe is suffocating under a dome of relentless heat, and the death toll continues to rise.

In Sardinia, where thermometers exceeded 40°C, two men died on the beach: a 75-year-old in Budoni and a 60-year-old in San Teodoro, both struck down by sudden illnesses despite rescue efforts.

In Genoa, an 85-year-old man died in hospital from dehydration and heart failure, while in France a 10-year-old American girl lost her life from a probable heat stroke during a visit to the Palace of Versailles.

The bulletin of a silent massacre

Sardinia: two deaths on the beach, sudden illnesses under the scorching sun.
Versailles: A little girl with health problems collapses due to the heat.
Highway A4: 70-year-old truck driver found dead, possibly from hyperthermia.
GenoVa: at San Martino, 9 admissions to the emergency room for dehydration in a few hours.

Why is this heat so deadly?

Experts from ESA (European Space Agency) explain that a “dome of high pressure” is trapping hot air over Western Europe, preventing exchange and increasing humidity. “It's an explosive mix,” meteorologists warn: high temperatures + heat = risk of collapse for the body, especially for the elderly, children and chronically ill.

Mistakes to avoid

The cases of the last few days demonstrate an underestimation of the danger:

Direct exposure to the sun during the hottest hours (11-18), as happened to the Sardinian victims.
Poor hydration: the elderly man from Genoa was severely dehydrated.
Even slight physical effort (walking, like the little girl in Versailles) in extreme temperatures.

Expert recommendations

Drink at least 2 liters of water a day, avoiding alcohol and caffeine.
Never go out during peak hours, especially children and those over 65.
Wear light clothing and keep rooms ventilated.
Be careful with medications: some (e.g. diuretics) increase sensitivity to heat.
The doctors' warning: "These deaths are avoidable. The heat kills more than road accidents in the summer, but we still do not perceive it as a real emergency". Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health is valuing the activation of anti-swelter plans in the most affected cities, with red alert in 10 regions.

Tomorrow a further worsening is expected: peaks up to 42°C in the South. The Civil Protection launches an appeal: "Stay at home, protect the vulnerable". But for some victims, unfortunately, it is already too late.