Naples on red alert as heatwave tests the South's summer

Italy's health ministry placed 27 cities, from Trieste in the northeast to Palermo in Sicily, on red alert ahead of the weekend as a blistering heatwave across much of Europe toppled temperature records and disrupted energy and transportation systems in several countries, France 24 reported Friday.

Naples, the capital of Campania and the heart of the country's southern tourism economy, is among the cities under the highest-level heat warning. The red alert signals a health risk for the entire population, not just the elderly and vulnerable, at a time when the city's streets and archaeological sites are packed with August visitors.

The warning comes as temperatures across much of Italy approach or exceed those recorded during the infamous summer of 2003, according to The Local Italy, as heatwaves become more frequent across the Mediterranean.