Italy's 27 cities on red alert as fourth heatwave peaks

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, the paper said.

The measure, which takes effect as the summer's fourth heatwave builds, places every major urban centre under the most severe warning level. The Guardian reported that the alert spans the entire peninsula, a rare nationwide application of the highest heat category.

For the Abruzzo bureau, the red alert carries a particular resonance. L'Aquila, the regional capital, sits at more than 700 metres in the Apennine highlands, where the continental climate has historically offered cooler summer nights. The heatwave now pressing on the cities is also reaching the mountain interior, though the region's altitude has so far moderated the worst of the temperatures.