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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Angela Giuffrida in Rome, Lorenzo Tondo in Palermo and Helena Smith in Athens

Strike threats in Italy and stoppages in Greece as workers struggle with heat

Two workers carrying a tabletop in Forli, Italy
Two workers carrying a tabletop in Forli, Italy, as factory employees threatened to strike over the extreme heat. Photograph: Claudia Greco/Reuters

Temperatures reached almost 47C in southern Italy on Wednesday and factory workers threatened to strike over the extreme heat, while wildfires continued to rage in Greece and temperatures in coastal waters around Spain broke records.

In Sicily, where the European record of 48.8C was registered in August 2021, the mercury climbed to almost 47C in the area between Mazara del Vallo, in the province of Trapani, and Sciacca, in Agrigento province, according to data from ilMeteo.it. Temperatures in Sardinia reached 46C while Rome – where there were energy blackouts on Tuesday due to pressure on the grid believed to be from air conditioners – peaked at 38C.

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