In brief
Italy has moved almost all of its major cities to a red heat alert amid a blistering heatwave, with temperatures hitting mid‑30s Celsius in many locations. The alert will extend to 25 of 27 major cities by Monday, only leaving Reggio Calabria and Messina on the amber level. Health officials urge residents to avoid midday heat, stay indoors, and stay hydrated. Meanwhile, Europe’s southern countries are battling extensive wildfires—hundreds of thousands of hectares burning in Greece, France, Spain and Portugal—fueling concerns over escalating climate impacts and heightened risk to public safety.
Italy’s heatwave sparks red alerts citywide
Italy’s health ministry has catalogued 19 of its 27 major cities—including Rome, Milan, Venice and Naples—already in the highest red zone for heat exposure.
Mid‑30s Celsius highs are threatening healthy, active citizens alike, not just the elderly, children and chronic‑ill individuals.
By Monday, the red alert will encompass 25 cities; only Reggio Calabria and Messina will remain on amber, alerting residents to risk and the intensifying subtropical anticyclone over the Mediterranean.
European nations are battling escalating wildfires, further underlining the link between extreme heat, fire risk and climate change. Greece, France, Portugal and Spain are in the throes of large blazes, with thousands of hectares ablaze in the south‑westerly Gallic valleys and Spanish borderlands.
In France, 2,500 people were evacuated from the Var region after a reburning blaze, while a separate fire in Gironde has gradually come under control, allowing 200,000 evacuees to return home.
Spanish and Portuguese hotspots are burning five times higher than the average for this time of year, further illustrating Europe’s status as the fastest‑warming continent, doubling the global average in temperature rise.
The accelerating heatwave and blazing forests pose mounting danger to public health, water supplies, and the overall ecological balance of the continent.
