Italy's Health Ministry has placed all 27 of its major cities under a maximum red warning as the country's fourth heatwave of the summer intensifies, with temperatures climbing towards 40C. This is the first time this year that every city monitored by the ministry's heat surveillance system has been put on the highest alert.
Authorities confirmed that 25 cities were already on the highest alert on Wednesday, with two more set to join the list on Thursday. A red alert is triggered when prolonged spells of extreme heat are expected to pose a health risk to the entire population, raising the likelihood of heat-related emergencies rather than solely affecting vulnerable groups.
Public health guidance
Residents have been advised to stay out of direct sunlight between 11am and 6pm, remain indoors wherever possible, and drink at least 1.5 litres of water daily. Officials have also urged people to steer clear of fizzy drinks, coffee, alcohol, and heavy meals, wear light clothing, and never leave children or animals inside parked cars.
Forecasters say there is no sign of the scorching temperatures letting up for at least another week. The current heatwave has been blamed for four deaths in recent days, among them a 19-year-old tomato picker and a 40-year-old carpenter working in Lombardy, while a security guard in Bologna is also thought to have died from a heat-related illness.
Impact on drought and agriculture
The prolonged spell of scorching weather has also worsened drought conditions in the Po Valley, with more than 100 towns in Piedmont and Lombardy experiencing water shortages and some having to rely on tanker trucks for supplies. Farmers report that crop yields are being hit, grape ripening has sped up, and milk production has dropped by around 10 per cent as dairy cows eat less in the sweltering heat.
In Rome, authorities are offering free entry to air-conditioned cinemas and cultural venues, while evening opening hours have been extended at the Colosseum and Pantheon. Forecasters have also warned there is little prospect of relief before next week.
Climate crisis connection
Lorenzo Giovannini, an atmospheric physicist at the University of Trento, told Ansa the heatwaves were above average in both intensity and duration, adding that the climate crisis was making them "longer and more intense". Scientists have connected the growing frequency and severity of heatwaves to human-driven climate change.
According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization, Europe has warmed at more than twice the global average since the 1980s.
Cities under red alert
Ancona, Bari, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Cagliari, Campobasso, Catania, Civitavecchia, Florence, Frosinone, Genoa, Latina, Messina, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Perugia, Pescara, Reggio Calabria, Rieti, Rome, Trieste, Turin, Venice, Verona, and Viterbo.
