Fifth heatwave of summer bears down on Umbria's hill towns

Italy is bracing for its fifth heatwave of the summer, with forecasters warning of a brief but intense spell set to affect central and southern parts of the country while the north faces thunderstorms, according to The Local Italy. Temperatures in the affected areas could approach 42C, the report said, as the country continues to endure one of its most punishing summers on record.

The forecast describes a nation divided in two: a furnace across the centre and south, and stormy conditions in the north. For Umbria, the inland region whose hill towns and valleys sit squarely in the central band, the heat arrives at a delicate moment in the agricultural calendar, when vineyards and olive groves are preparing for the autumn harvest.