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, according to the Guardian. The red alert comes as temperatures edge close to 40C in some areas, with the health ministry advising vulnerable residents to stay indoors during the hottest hours.

The measure covers every major urban centre on the peninsula, reflecting a summer that has already seen repeated heat alerts and growing concern over the strain on the country's energy grid and water supplies. The Guardian reported that the alert was issued as the heatwave continued to build across the week.

For Sardinia, the red alert carries particular weight. The island's interior, already parched after months of below-average rainfall, faces the double pressure of extreme heat and water scarcity, a pattern that has become familiar in Mediterranean climate reporting.