A fire burns in the area of Monte Grifone and the town of Ciaculli near Palermo, Sicily
A fire burns in the area of Monte Grifone and the town of Ciaculli near Palermo, Sicily.
Wildfires have killed at least three elderly people on Italy's southern island of Sicily as a heatwave and severe storms gripped continental Europe.

The charred bodies of a couple in their 70s were found in their burned-out home on the outskirts of the capital, Palermo, according to Italian media reports.

Another woman in her late 80s died in Palermo province after an ambulance was unable to reach her home due to the fires.

In an overnight message on Facebook, Sicilian President Renato Schifani said "scorching heat and unprecedented devastating fires" had turned Tuesday into "one of the most difficult days in decades".



Italian firefighters said they battled nearly 1,400 fires between Sunday and Tuesday, including 650 in Sicily and 390 in Calabria.

Fires were still burning on the hills around Palermo on Wednesday, and firefighting planes were deployed to try to douse the flames.


The government was set to meet in Rome on Wednesday evening to declare a state of emergency in regions affected by natural disasters and introduce a special furlough scheme for workers most exposed to the heatwave.

While the country's south is battling wildfires, the north is dealing with intense storms that killed two people on Tuesday, including a 16-year-old girl scout who was crushed by a falling tree.