Italy places 27 cities on red alert as heatwave intensifies

Italy's health ministry placed 27 cities, from Trieste in the country's northeast to Palermo in Sicily, on red alert ahead of the weekend as a blistering heatwave across much of Europe toppled temperature records and disrupted energy and transportation systems, France 24 reported.

Temperatures across much of Italy are approaching or exceeding those recorded during the infamous summer of 2003, as heatwaves become more frequent, according to The Local Italy. The heat has set a national temperature record in Austria, fueled wildfires in France and disrupted energy and transportation systems across the continent, CBS News reported.

The red alert covers major urban centres including Rome, where officials are scrambling to house hundreds of people camping outside after a squat eviction amid the heat, the Guardian reported.