Molise braces as Italy puts 27 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, the Guardian reported on Wednesday. The red alert comes as temperatures in some areas edge close to 40C, straining a country already weary from successive heat episodes.

For Molise, the alert carries a particular weight. The region's continental interior, with its hilltop towns and ageing population, is accustomed to heat, but the succession of heatwaves this summer has made the burden more acute. While the red alert targets major cities, the effects of extreme heat are felt just as sharply in the smaller centres of the deep South, where the population is older and less equipped to adapt.

The Guardian's report noted the move follows a summer of repeated heat events, each intensifying the pressure on public health systems and energy grids. The red alert, which applies to all 27 major cities, signals a level of risk that authorities have reserved for the most extreme conditions.