Heatwave threatens Alpine northeast as Saharan heat surges into Europe

Italy was set for peaks of 39 to 40 degrees Celsius this week as the first major heatwave of the summer arrived, according to The Local Italy. Hot air drawn up from the Sahara is expected to blanket much of the peninsula, raising concerns about water stress, agricultural strain and public health across regions from the Mediterranean coast to the Alpine foothills.

The northeast faces particular vulnerability. Friuli-Venezia Giulia's continental inland climate and the region's dependence on irrigation for wine production and agriculture make it susceptible to the kind of sustained heat that can stress water supplies and crop yields. The bora wind, which normally cools the coastal strip around Trieste, offers little relief when Saharan air masses dominate the upper atmosphere.