Italy's red alert spreads to all 27 major cities as fourth heatwave peaks

Italy is to place all 27 of its 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 red alert comes as temperatures in some areas edge close to 40C.

The measure spans the peninsula, covering cities from the Adriatic coast to the islands. The Guardian's report noted the alert applies to every major urban centre, a rare blanket warning as the summer's successive heat events strain public health systems and infrastructure.

For the inland Apennine highlands, the alert carries a particular weight. While the red warning targets the major cities, the mountainous interior of Abruzzo faces its own version of the stress — one measured less in urban heat islands and more in the resilience of villages already thinned by depopulation.

The Guardian reported that the red alert is the highest level in Italy's heat warning system, typically triggered when heat poses a risk to the entire population, not just the vulnerable. The fourth heatwave of the summer has pushed temperatures toward 40C in parts of the country, with the health ministry expected to urge precautions for the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.

The pattern of repeated heatwaves this summer has drawn attention from international observers who note the strain on Italy's ageing population, particularly in rural areas where services are sparse. The BBC has separately published guidance on coping with the heat, suggesting night-time tours and supermarket visits as ways to avoid the worst of the daytime temperatures.

From the Abruzzo bureau, the red alert is a reminder that the heat is not merely a coastal or urban phenomenon. The region's mountain towns, many still rebuilding from the 2009 earthquake, face the challenge of keeping vulnerable residents cool in stone-built centres not designed for sustained heat. The memory of past disasters — both seismic and climatic — sharpens the need for preparedness, even where the thermometer reads lower than in Palermo or Rome.

The Guardian's report did not specify how long the alert would remain in force, but the language of an intensifying fourth heatwave suggests the peak has not yet passed. For the high Apennines, the coming days will test both infrastructure and the social fabric of communities already stretched thin.