Europe's heatwave reaches Molise's fragile interior

Areas of Europe home to at least 92 million people — particularly in France, Italy, and Spain — are set for temperatures above 35C on Wednesday in the continent's latest heatwave, according to AFP calculations reported by The Local Italy.

For Molise, the smallest and one of the most sparsely populated regions in Italy, the heatwave arrives with particular force. The region's continental inland climate brings scorching summer days to Campobasso and the interior towns, where the population is among the oldest in the country.

The heat compounds the daily challenges of a region already defined by depopulation and an economy shaped by emigration. The elderly, who make up a disproportionate share of Molise's roughly 289,000 residents, are most vulnerable to the health effects of extreme temperatures.