Too hot to study, say Italian teachers as school (finally) resumes

Children across Italy are returning to classrooms after a traditional three months off school -- the longest summer holiday in Europe.

But just as frazzled parents sigh with relief, teachers say climate change is making it too hot to study safely, and some have called for classes to be postponed.

"The sun beating down on small classrooms creates a greenhouse effect," creating "intolerable temperatures", said Antonino Rinaldo, a school administrator in Sicily's Palermo.

Heatwaves are becoming more intense and frequent due to human-caused climate change, yet only six percent of Italy's schools have air conditioning, according to the education ministry.

While in some Italian regions temperatures are subsiding, conditions remain hot in the south.

Sweltering heat in May and June is a strug