Red alert heatwave puts Naples under strain

Italy's health ministry placed 27 cities, from Trieste in the country's 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, France 24 reported on Friday. The alert covers Naples, the capital of Campania, and comes as temperatures across much of Italy are approaching or exceeding those recorded during the infamous summer of 2003, according to The Local Italy.

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. In Rome, the heatwave has exposed problems on the city's newest metro line, with commuters sweltering on Metro C and on electric buses whose air conditioning systems struggle with higher temperatures than they were designed for, The Local Italy reported.

For Campania, the red alert is not just a health warning but a test of infrastructure that is already under strain. Naples's dense urban fabric, its aging public transport network and its reliance on tourism mean that extreme heat has outsized effects, from the risk of power outages to the discomfort of visitors packed into the city's narrow streets.