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, the state's most severe heat warning, comes as temperatures in some areas edge close to 40C.

The measure extends a summer of repeated heat emergencies across the peninsula, with earlier alerts having already strained infrastructure and public health systems. The Guardian noted this is the fourth heatwave of the season, a pattern that has drawn international attention to how southern Europe adapts to a warming climate.

For inland regions like Umbria, the alert carries particular weight. While the 27 cities named are the major urban centres, the hill towns and agricultural valleys of the interior face their own stresses, where elderly populations and outdoor labour make the heat a daily hazard.