ROME, June 29 (Xinhuanet) -- The Italian government is considering declaring a state of emergency in parts of the country as fears grow that a heat wave may claim thousands of Italian lives, Italian newspapers said on Wednesday.

    Italian Health Minister Francesco Storace raised the alarm on Monday, warning that as many as one million people may be at risk from soaring temperatures.

    Around 20,000 people died in the country due to a similar heat wave in the summer of 2003.

    "We are monitoring the situation to evaluate the possibility ofsetting up a control unit to coordinate any eventual operations", Italian officials said on Tuesday.

    The highest temperatures were recorded in the country's north where forecasts have put the temperature close to 40 degrees Celsius. In Rome and the mountainous north of the country, temperatures were recorded four or five degrees Celsius higher than average.

    In Sardinia island, temperatures have climbed into the 30s Celsius and are forecasted to be above 40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

    In the early hours of Tuesday a 51-year-old man died of heat stroke in the Piedmont town of Alessandria, bringing to at least four the number of deaths related to the weather since Monday.

    The Italian Health Ministry has expressed concerns over elderlycity-dwellers, especially those over 80, who are often socially isolated and have health or economic problems.

    The ministry has set up a hot line staffed by doctors who will answer people's inquiries about how to survive the hot weather.

    Local newspapers reported that the government plans to run public advertisements on televisions and radios if the temperature gets even higher. People will be advised to drink lotsof water, eat light food, avoid going out in the hottest hours of the day and keep an eye on the elderly.

    On Monday electricity consumption hit a new record of 54,100 megawatts in Italy as the country turned on air conditioners to cool itself down. Enditem