All 27 major Italian cities put on highest heat 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.

A red alert — the highest level on Italy's heat warning system — will be in effect across the country's major urban centres, with temperatures in some areas edging close to 40C, according to the Guardian's coverage of the national heatwave.

For Tuscany, whose capital Florence is among the cities under alert, the red warning arrives at the peak of the summer tourist season, when the region's historic centres draw millions of visitors seeking the Renaissance postcard.