Italy Places 27 Cities on Red Alert as Heatwave Tests the Apennines

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, France 24 reported on Friday.

The red alert, the highest level of heat warning, signals a health risk for the entire population, not just the vulnerable. CBS News noted that the heat has also set a national temperature record in Austria, fueled wildfires in France, and disrupted energy and transportation systems across the continent.

For the Abruzzo bureau, the heatwave is a particular concern. The region's mountainous interior, including the Gran Sasso massif and the Apennine highlands, is typically a refuge from summer heat, but the current conditions are testing even those elevations. The foreign press has not reported specific temperatures for L'Aquila, but the national red alert covers cities across the country, and the pattern of extreme heat is consistent with the broader European trend.