Port of Genoa braces as heatwave strains Mediterranean shipping

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.

The alerts come 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 and intense.

For the Port of Genoa — the country's largest gateway for container traffic and a critical node in Mediterranean shipping — the sustained heat poses an operational challenge that port operators are watching closely, though no major disruption has yet been reported at the Ligurian facilities.