Italy putting nearly all major cities on highest heat alert
Some 19 major Italian cities - including Rome, Milan and Naples - are already on red alert, and by Monday all but two will be.
Italy is elevating nearly all of its major urban centers to the highest "red" heat alert level as a new heatwave intensifies its grip on the nation.
Italian health authorities are advising residents in the impacted regions to seek shelter indoors, avoid direct sun exposure, and maintain high fluid intake.
Nineteen cities, spanning from the north to the south of Italy—including prominent locations like Rome, Milan, Venice, and Naples—are currently under a red alert. Officials project that by Monday, only two cities will remain outside of this highest alert category.
Temperatures across many areas reached the mid-30s Celsius on Saturday. Authorities are issuing warnings about potential health risks even for healthy and active individuals, not just vulnerable populations such as the elderly, very young children, and those with chronic health conditions.
These warnings coincide with several European nations battling destructive wildfires, fueled by a series of heatwaves that have created ideal conditions for blazes.
In its latest heatwave bulletin, released on Saturday, the Italian health ministry indicated that by Monday, approximately 25 of the country's 27 major cities will be under a red alert. The ministry anticipates that only two cities—Reggio Calabria, situated at the southern tip of Italy's "boot," and Messina, located across the strait on the island of Sicily—will be under the second-highest "amber" alert.
The ministry is urging residents in affected areas to avoid heat exposure and direct sunlight during the hottest hours, specifically between 11:00 and 18:00, and to remain indoors while consuming ample fluids.
The extreme heat is attributed to a subtropical anticyclone originating from North Africa, which is currently strengthening over the Mediterranean Sea.
Concurrently, firefighters in Greece, France, Portugal, and Spain are continuing to combat blazes that have consumed thousands of hectares.
In France, approximately 2,500 individuals were evacuated from the southeastern Var region on Friday evening after a fire, which had been contained for several days, reignited, according to local officials. However, a massive fire in the southwestern Gironde region is now under control, allowing around 200,000 evacuated local residents to return to their homes.
In Greece, hundreds of people, predominantly tourists, have been evacuated by sea from a coastal town in Viotia, which was encircled by one of the numerous wildfires raging across the country.
In Spain, over 200,000 hectares of land have burned in 2026, a figure roughly five times higher than the average for this point in the year. Similarly, the amount of land burned in Portugal is also above usual levels, as indicated by EU data.
Climate change is driving a global increase in temperatures, with Europe experiencing the fastest warming, heating up at twice the rate of the global average, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. This phenomenon is leading to more frequent summer heatwaves, increased strain on Europe's water supply, and more intense wildfires.