Italy’s 25 Major Cities Face Highest Heat Alert

And this is not just about a few places.

No. Health officials say 19 major cities are already on the highest red alert.

By Monday, almost all of the country’s major cities will be there too.

That is a big change in just a short time.

It is. The ministry says 25 of 27 major cities will be on red alert by Monday.

The only cities expected to stay one step lower are Reggio Calabria and Messina.

So this is stretching from the north to the south?

Yes, from Rome and Milan to Venice and Naples.

On Saturday, many places saw temperatures in the mid-30s Celsius.

That already sounds hard to handle for many people.

Officials are warning that the heat can be dangerous even for healthy people.

They also ask older people, very young children, and people with long-term illnesses to be careful.

What are people being told to do right now?

Stay indoors during the hottest hours, between 11:00 and 18:00.

They are also told to avoid direct sunlight and drink plenty of fluids.

So the advice is simple, but the risk is real.

Yes, and the timing matters because several European countries are also dealing with wildfires.

Hot and dry weather can help fires spread more easily.

Is this red alert just a warning, or does it change daily life?

It is mainly a warning, but a serious one.

It tells people and local services to prepare for dangerous heat.

So today's story is not only the heat, but how widespread it is.

Exactly. Nearly all of Italy’s biggest cities are now under the top alert level.

The Ebola picture is very different in Uganda and DR Congo.

Now we go to Chloe, our LinguaWire correspondent for health.

Yes, and the latest news shows a sharp contrast between the two countries.

Start with DR Congo. What has changed there?

The outbreak in the east of DR Congo has become the second-worst on record.

Officials say the official death toll has passed 1,500.

That is a very serious number.

It is, and experts think the real number of deaths is even higher.

Authorities in DR Congo also said the virus was spreading much faster than in past outbreaks.

So the situation there is getting worse, not better.

Yes. The outbreak was declared in May, and it is still growing.

This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in DR Congo since Ebola was discovered 50 years ago.

And Uganda is the other side of this story.

Exactly. Uganda had cases too, but the latest update is much more hopeful.

The health minister called it a “moment of joy” when the last patient left hospital two weeks ago.

That must have felt like a huge relief.

Yes, especially because Uganda only recorded 20 cases and two deaths in this outbreak.

Health workers say that is not because of luck.

So what helped them do better?

A WHO official in Uganda said it was because people invested in preparedness.

Uganda says past outbreaks taught officials how to respond more quickly and more efficiently.

That sounds like lessons from old crises are paying off now.

They are. Uganda has had nine Ebola outbreaks since 2000.

Officials say those hard experiences helped them stop the disease spreading widely several times.

So one country is still fighting a serious outbreak, while the neighbor cleared its last patient.

Yes, and that contrast is the key news today.

First, three words from the Italy story.

red alert, this means the highest warning level. Many cities were already on red alert because of extreme heat.

fluids, this means drinks, especially water or other liquids. People were told to drink plenty of fluids to stay safe.

to avoid, this means to stay away from something. In the story, officials told people to avoid direct sunlight. Example: Try to avoid the sun at midday.

Now one grammar point: be told to.

We use be told to + verb when someone receives advice or an instruction.

People were told to stay indoors during the hottest hours.

They were also told to avoid direct sunlight.

Repeat after me: be told to stay indoors