Red alert for 27 Italian cities as heatwave strains Milan's grid

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.

The heat has set a national temperature record in Austria, fueled wildfires in France and strained power grids across the continent, CBS News reported, citing officials. Italy's summer of 2026 is approaching or exceeding temperatures recorded during the infamous summer of 2003, according to The Local Italy.

For Milan, the red alert covers the Lombardy capital, where the continental climate — typically foggy and humid — is now delivering extended periods of extreme heat that test the city's infrastructure and its workforce.