Hot African Winds Bake Southern Italy

Rome —  Southern Italy faced a heat wave Wednesday as sirocco winds from Africa sent temperatures soaring near 104 degrees. Weather services forecast even hotter temperatures, and the heat wave is expected to last for several days. An elderly woman died from the effects of heat in Bari, and brush fires broke out in Sicily on Tuesday. Radio bulletins ran warnings advising people to stay indoors during the early afternoon. Police in Rome were out in force to prevent sweltering tourists from finding relief in the capital’s fountains. Hospitals said dozens of people were treated for heat exhaustion.