Italy Places 27 Cities on Red Alert as Heatwave Grips Europe

Italy's health ministry placed 27 cities, from Trieste in the 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 in several countries, France 24 reported.

Temperatures across much of Italy are approaching or exceeding those recorded during the infamous summer of 2003, according to The Local Italy, as heatwaves become more frequent.

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, underscoring the scale of a summer that is testing Europe's infrastructure and public health systems alike.