Temperatures not expected to fall until Thursday

A stifling heat wave which has been roasting Italy for a week has raised alarm for the health of the nations' elderly.

Authorities in Italian cities are putting emergency plans into action due to temperatures well in excess of 30 degrees Celsius. Unusually high levels of humidity are adding to the discomfort.

The City of Rome said it has treated an average of around 100 elderly callers to a special heat-wave phone line per day over the last few days. The number of patients treated in Naples hospital emergency rooms has increased 10% since the temperatures started to rise.

The authorities are most concerned about elderly city-dwellers, especially those over 80, who are socially isolated and have health or economic problems.

They are asking citizens to be vigilant for people experiencing health problems because of the weather.

"We are calling for the cooperation of everyone. If you have any doubts about an elderly neighbour who lives alone or if you see someone in difficulty in the street, call us, it could be important," said Rome's Social Policies Councillor Raffaela Milano .

The aged are being advised to drink lots of water, eat light food, avoid going out in the hottest hours of the day and seek medical advice at the first sign of trouble.

Parents are also being urged to be watchful with small children.

"Do not leave children or elderly people alone in a car in this period, not even for a few minutes," said Milano .

Temperatures reached 35 degrees Celsius in parts of Italy on Tuesday and forecasters said there would be no let up until Thursday.

On Tuesday energy consumption hit a new record as the nation switched up the air conditioning to cool itself down.

Last Wednesday the heat got to Pope Benedict XVI, who cut short an address to a packed St. Peter's Square because of the soaring temperatures. Around 20,000 deaths were recorded during a prolonged heat wave in 2003. The Institute for Higher Health (ISS) said 97% of heat-related fatalities during that heat wave, Europe's worst in three centuries, were among people over 65 years of age.