Red alert across Italy's cities as heatwave strains the South

Italy's health ministry placed 27 cities 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 alert list stretches from Trieste in the northeast to Palermo in Sicily, covering major urban centres across the peninsula.

The heat has set a national temperature record in Austria, fueled wildfires in France, and disrupted energy and transportation systems across the continent, CBS News reported. In Italy, temperatures are approaching or exceeding those recorded during the infamous summer of 2003, according to The Local Italy, as heatwaves become more frequent.

For Calabria, the red alert is not a distant forecast. The region's coastal cities — Reggio Calabria, Catanzaro, and the port towns along the Tyrrhenian and Ionian shores — typically experience some of the highest summer temperatures in Italy, and the current heatwave shows no sign of relenting. The health ministry's warnings target vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.