Italy placed all 27 major cities monitored under its national heat surveillance system on red alert, marking the first time this year that the entire network has been under the highest warning level simultaneously. The measure stems from the fourth heatwave to hit the country this summer, which has driven temperatures in some areas toward 40 degrees Celsius.
Italy Places All 27 Monitored Cities on Maximum Red Alert
The health ministry noted that 25 cities were under a red alert on Wednesday, with the remaining two added on Thursday. The alerts stretch from Trieste in the northeast to Palermo in Sicily. Included in the red alert network are Turin, Bolzano, Milan, Genoa, Venice, Verona, Bologna, Florence, Perugia, Rome, Naples, Ancona, Pescara, Bari, Campobasso, Reggio Calabria, Cagliari, Catania, Messina, Brescia, Viterbo, Latina, Rieti, Frosinone, and Civitavecchia. Officials warned that the maximum alert level signals a health risk for the entire population, rather than solely for vulnerable groups such as older adults and people with chronic illnesses.
Health Warnings, Fatalities, and Agricultural Strain
Authorities advised residents and tourists to avoid direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day—specifically between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.—remain indoors where possible, drink plenty of water, wear light clothes, and avoid heavy meals, coffee, alcohol, and fizzy drinks. The current heatwave has been linked to multiple deaths in recent days, including a 19-year-old tomato-picker, a 40-year-old carpenter who fell ill while working on a roof, a security guard in his car, and a 90-year-old woman.
Lorenzo Giovannini, an atmospheric physicist at the University of Trento, told the Ansa news agency that this summer’s heatwaves are above average in intensity and duration compared to previous years. The extreme weather has also exacerbated a drought in the Po valley following a dry spring, leaving more than 100 towns across Piedmont and Lombardy facing water supply difficulties and forcing some municipalities to use tanker trucks for drinking water reserves. Farmers reported that crop yields are affected, grape ripening has accelerated in certain areas, and milk production has dropped by 10% because dairy cows are eating less due to heat stress.
Municipal Mitigations and Broader European Impacts
To help the public cope with the conditions, cities like Rome have provided free access to air-conditioned cinemas and cultural venues during the hottest hours. The ministries of tourism and culture extended evening opening hours at landmarks such as the Colosseum and Pantheon. Cooling mist fans and additional medical stations have been established at Colosseum entrances, and Rome launched a free municipal urban beach along the Tiber River known as Tiberis, equipped with swimming pools, water fountains, and shaded areas.
The wider European heat wave has simultaneously driven records and disruptions outside Italy, setting a national temperature record in Austria—where the mercury reached 106.2 degrees Fahrenheit in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg—and fueling wildfires in France. In Slovakia, low water levels on the Danube forced the Gabčíkovo hydroelectric power plant to shut down seven of its eight turbines. Scientists note that Europe has warmed about twice as fast as the global average, and the current heatwave in Italy is not forecast to let up for at least a week.
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