Italy puts all 27 major cities on highest heat alert

Italy is to place all of its 27 major cities, from Trieste in the north to Palermo in the south, under the highest heat alert as the fourth heatwave to hit the country this summer intensifies, the Guardian reported on Wednesday. The move comes as temperatures in some areas edge close to 40C, with the red alert covering urban centres across the entire peninsula.

The red alert, Italy's most severe heat warning, signals a serious health risk for the general population, not just the elderly or vulnerable. According to the Guardian, the measure affects every major city, reflecting a summer that has already seen three prior heatwaves and shows no sign of relenting. The alert system, run by the health ministry, is designed to trigger emergency responses including extended opening hours for cooling centres and heightened monitoring of at-risk residents.

For Veneto, the alert carries particular weight. Venice, the region's capital and one of the 27 cities named, faces the double burden of heat and humidity in its lagoon setting, where the water moderates but does not relieve the oppressive conditions. The city's narrow streets and stone piazzas retain heat well into the night, offering little respite for residents and the thousands of summer visitors who continue to crowd its bridges and squares despite the temperatures.

The heatwave also tests the region's tourism economy, which depends on summer footfall. The BBC, in a separate guide on coping with the Italian heat, quoted experts recommending night-time tours and air-conditioned supermarkets as strategies for making the most of Italy during the latest heatwave. For Venice, such advice points to a shift in how the city is experienced, with evening hours becoming more viable than the scorching midday, though the strain on the city's ageing infrastructure and its resident population remains acute.

The Guardian's report noted the alert covers cities from the far north to the deep south, a geographic span that underscores the scale of the event. In the Veneto, the heat compounds existing pressures on the lagoon, where low rainfall and high evaporation have left water levels and ecosystems under stress. The region's agricultural districts, including the Prosecco hills, face the same climatic strain that has prompted wheat trials in Emilia-Romagna, a reminder that this summer's heat is not merely a discomfort but a test of the region's resilience.