Puglia braces for fifth heatwave as highs near 42C

Italy is bracing for its fifth heatwave of the summer, with forecasters warning that temperatures in central and southern regions, including Puglia, could approach 42 degrees Celsius, according to The Local Italy. The country will be divided in two, the report said, with a brief but intense spell of heat affecting the south while the north contends with thunderstorms.

For Puglia, the forecast extends a summer already marked by extreme conditions. The region's hot Mediterranean climate, with dry summers and mild winters, has been tested this year by repeated heat events that have strained agriculture, tourism and daily life across the southern Adriatic coast.