Red alert across Tuscany as heatwave tests cities and visitors

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 covers cities from Trieste in the northeast to Palermo in Sicily, including Florence and other Tuscan centres, according to the report. 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.

For Tuscany, the red alert arrives at the peak of the tourist season, when the region's historic centres are at their most crowded. The combination of high temperatures and dense visitor numbers puts strain on both the people who live and work in cities like Florence and the millions who come to see them.