Europe's heatwave pushes 92 million past 35C, Italy in the eye

Areas of Europe home to at least 92 million people are set for temperatures above 35C on Wednesday, according to AFP calculations reported by The Local Italy. France, Italy and Spain are expected to bear the brunt of the continent's latest heatwave.

The figures underscore a summer that has already seen multiple extreme heat events across southern Europe. For Lombardy, the heat is compounding existing pressures on the region's infrastructure, from energy grids to transport networks.

Milan, Italy's financial and industrial capital, is particularly exposed. The city's dense urban fabric and continental climate, marked by humid summers, can amplify the effects of prolonged high temperatures, a pattern foreign correspondents have noted in their coverage of Italy's summer struggles.

The heatwave arrives as Italy's Po River, which runs through the heart of Lombardy, has fallen to historically low levels, according to separate reports from Euronews. The drought has exposed wide stretches of dry riverbed near Pavia and raised fresh concerns over water supplies and farming across northern Italy.

The combination of extreme heat and water scarcity is a double blow for Lombardy's agricultural sector, which relies heavily on irrigation from the Po and its tributaries. Rice, maize and dairy production are all water-intensive, and the region's farmers have already reported yield losses in previous heatwaves this summer.

The heat is also testing the resilience of Milan's transport and energy systems. Reports from The Local Italy this week have detailed air conditioning failures on Italian trains, with passengers enduring temperatures up to 40C in carriages. While the reports focused on national rail services, the strain on cooling systems is a concern for the region's commuter networks and office buildings alike.

The Italian government has not declared a state of emergency, but local authorities in Lombardy have issued heat alerts, urging residents to stay indoors during the hottest hours. The region's four provinces under storm alerts, as noted in The Local Italy's roundup, suggest the heat may be broken by violent weather, a pattern that has become familiar in recent summers.

For Milan's business community, the heatwave is more than an inconvenience. Construction sites, outdoor logistics and energy-intensive manufacturing all face reduced productivity, while demand for cooling pushes up electricity prices. Foreign financial media have tracked how such climate pressures feed into Italy's broader economic fragility, a concern that resonates in Italy's richest region.