Red alert heatwave tests Marche's health and infrastructure

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. The warning, the highest level on the ministry's heat-health scale, signals a serious risk to vulnerable populations, including the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.

The current summer is approaching or exceeding temperatures recorded during the infamous summer of 2003, according to The Local Italy, as heatwaves become more frequent across the country. Meteorologists have noted that the persistence of the heat, rather than any single day's peak, is what makes this year particularly taxing for residents and infrastructure alike.

The heat has already 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, the strain is visible in daily life, from sweltering commuters on Rome's Metro C to the broader challenge of keeping cities functioning under sustained thermal stress.