Italy puts nearly all major cities on highest heat alert as temperatures rise
Italy has placed 19 major cities on its highest heat alert as a new heatwave grips the country. The warning covers cities from north to south, including Rome, Milan, Venice and Naples. Health officials say the situation is expected to worsen by Monday, when almost all of the country's major cities are forecast to be under the red alert.
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The Italian health ministry said temperatures reached the mid-30s Celsius in many places on Saturday. It warned that the heat could pose risks not only to older people, young children and those with chronic illnesses, but also to healthy and active people. Officials are advising residents in affected areas to avoid direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day, stay indoors and drink plenty of fluids.
According to the ministry's latest bulletin, 25 of Italy's 27 major cities are expected to be on red alert by Monday. The only cities forecast to remain at the second-highest amber level are Reggio Calabria, at the southern tip of mainland Italy, and Messina, across the strait on Sicily. The alert system is designed to signal when heat conditions may affect the health of the general population, not just vulnerable groups.
The heatwave is being driven by a subtropical anticyclone from North Africa that is strengthening over the Mediterranean. That pattern has contributed to a wider spell of extreme summer weather across parts of Europe. In several countries, prolonged high temperatures have also created conditions favourable for wildfires, adding pressure on emergency services and local authorities.
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The current alert comes as firefighters in Greece, France, Portugal and Spain continue to tackle blazes spanning thousands of hectares. In France, about 2,500 people were evacuated in the south-eastern Var region after a fire reignited, while a large blaze in Gironde has been brought under control and some evacuated residents have returned home. In Greece, hundreds of people, mostly tourists, were evacuated by sea from a coastal town in Viotia, and in Spain more than 200,000 hectares have burned this year.
What remains unclear is how long the Italian heatwave will last and whether the red alerts will be extended beyond Monday. The ministry has not said whether additional emergency measures will be introduced, but the guidance to avoid peak sun exposure suggests continued concern about public health impacts. The next update will likely focus on whether temperatures ease, how cities respond, and whether the wider European fire situation worsens further.
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