Millions of Italians travel on weekend of road crashes and weather warnings

ROME -- Italy is preparing for its busiest week of road traffic to continue following weekend road crashes and soaring temperatures. Italians have been advised to check travel information, Anas, Italy’s equivalent of Highways England, has said.

 Several Italians died this weekend, including a 48-year-old woman whose car swerved off the road and fell 200 metres in Pesarese. It follows the death on Saturday of a 27-year-old woman in Sardinia, who died after the car driven by her husband swerved off the road to avoid an animal and crashed. Three road fatalities in Sicily have also been reported. 

 Accidents have taken place over a weekend of heavy traffic and severe delays as Italians travel for the Ferragosto holiday period. It comes as Italian temperatures also soared to the highest levels of the summer, with Italy’s Department of Health previously issuing red weather warnings in nine cities ahead of Sunday’s extreme heat.

 An estimated 13 million Italians travelled this past weekend, according to Confcommercio, Italy’s largest business association. Italians also suffered delays on the train networks, with services again suspended on Friday on the Rome to Napoli trainline after fires. More vehicles are expected on the roads this week ahead of Italy’s public holiday, Ferragosto, on Thursday.