Italy Issues Red Heat Alert for 25 Major Cities Amid New Heatwave

Italy is placing nearly all its major cities under the highest red heat alert as a new heatwave grips the country. Health officials say 19 cities — including the capital Rome, Milan, Venice and Naples — are already at red alert, and by Monday, 25 of the country's 27 major cities will be under that designation.

Temperatures reached the mid-30s Celsius in many locations on Saturday. The Italian health ministry warns of risks not only for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, young children, and people with chronic conditions, but for healthy and active individuals as well.

North African Anticyclone to Blame

The extreme heat is being driven by a subtropical anticyclone originating from North Africa, which is now intensifying over the Mediterranean. The ministry advises residents in affected areas to stay indoors, avoid direct sunlight between 11:00 and 18:00, and drink plenty of water.

By Monday, only two cities — Reggio Calabria, at the southern tip of Italy's "boot," and Messina on the island of Sicily — are expected to remain at the second-highest amber alert level.

Wildfires Across Europe

The heat warnings come as several European nations continue battling devastating wildfires that have spread under a succession of heatwaves. In France, around 2,500 residents were evacuated in the south-eastern Var region on Friday evening after a previously contained blaze reignited. A larger fire in the south-western Gironde region is now under control, allowing roughly 200,000 evacuated residents to return home. Firefighters in Greece, Portugal, and Spain are still tackling blazes covering thousands of hectares.