Italy set for a chilly Easter holiday weekend.

Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri on Thursday signed an order allowing the city's residents to keep the heating on until 11 April, given the sudden drop in temperatures in the Italian capital.

Under the ordinance, Rome residents are permitted to use their central heating systems for a maximum of four hours a day, with details published on the city's website.

• Easter in Rome: a quick guide

The move comes as Italy faces an Easter "colder than Christmas", according to weather forecasters, with widespread cold conditions, rain and thunderstorms.

Easter Sunday (Pasqua) and Easter Monday (Pasquetta) - which fall on 9 and 10 April in 2023 - are national public holidays in Italy.

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