Italy places 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, according to the Guardian. The red alert covers every major urban centre, a measure that reflects the severity of a summer that has already seen repeated extreme heat events across the peninsula.

The move comes as temperatures in some areas edge close to 40C, the Guardian reported. For Sicily, the red alert is a familiar condition: Palermo, the regional capital, has spent much of this summer under similar warnings, with the island's interior suffering from an increasingly arid climate that has put pressure on agriculture and water supplies.

The red alert is not merely a weather warning. It carries practical consequences for public health, with authorities advising against outdoor activity during the hottest hours and opening cooling centres for the most vulnerable. The elderly, the very young and those with chronic conditions are at greatest risk, a concern that resonates across a region where the population is ageing.