All 27 Major Cities on Red Alert as Fourth Heatwave Grips Italy

Italy is to place all of its 27 major cities, from Trieste in the north to Palermo in the south, under the highest heat alert as the fourth heatwave to hit the country this summer intensifies, according to the Guardian. The red alert comes as temperatures in some areas edge close to 40C, the newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The alert covers every major urban centre on the mainland and the islands, a measure that reflects the breadth and persistence of the current hot spell. Health authorities typically advise the elderly, young children and those with chronic conditions to stay indoors during the hottest hours when a red alert is in force.

For Sardinia, the heat is not merely a matter of comfort. The island's interior, already parched after a dry spring, faces heightened wildfire risk and pressure on water supplies, a strain that the foreign press has linked to broader Mediterranean climate stress.