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.

The Local Italy's report, published Wednesday, cites forecasters who describe the country as split between a scorching south and a storm-lashed north. The heatwave is expected to be brief but intense, with highs approaching 42C in the worst-affected areas of central and southern Italy.

For Puglia, the heat arrives at the peak of the tourist season, when the region's beaches and whitewashed towns draw visitors from across Europe. The strain on infrastructure, from power grids to water supplies, has been a recurring theme in international coverage of Italy's summer of climate extremes, with The Local Italy reporting earlier this week that 2026 has forced the reality of climate change into daily life.

The forecast also carries consequences for the region's agriculture, a cornerstone of Puglia's economy alongside tourism. Olive groves, already under pressure from Xylella in parts of the region, face additional stress from prolonged heat, a pattern that foreign food and agriculture press has tracked in recent years.

The split forecast — heat in the south, storms in the north — echoes a broader pattern across Europe this summer. A Guardian survey published this week found that across six European nations, more people favour encouraging air conditioning over keeping carbon emissions down, a preference that has gained ground after four extreme heat events this season.

As the heatwave peaks, authorities in Puglia will be watching for health impacts, particularly among the elderly, and for pressure on the region's water reserves. The Local Italy's report gives no specific timeline for when the heat will break, but notes the spell is expected to be brief before conditions ease.