All major Italian cities on red heat alert as heatwave rips through Europe

Italy has placed all of its major cities under the highest heat alert on Thursday, as a blistering heatwave grips Europe.

The heatwave has set a national temperature record in Austria, fuelled wildfires in France, and disrupted energy and transport systems across the continent.

Italy’s Health Ministry placed all 27 cities monitored under its national heat surveillance system on red alert, the first time this year the entire network has been under its highest warning level simultaneously.

The alerts stretch from Trieste in the northeast, to Palermo in Sicily, and indicate a health risk for the entire population, not just vulnerable groups such as older people and those with chronic illnesses.

The total list of cities is: Ancona, Bari, Bologna, Bolzano, Brescia, Cagliari, Campobasso, Catania, Civitavecchia, Florence, Frosinone, Genoa, Latina, Messina, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Perugia, Pescara, Reggio Calabria, Rieti, Rome, Trieste, Turin, Venice, Verona and Viterbo.

Authorities are urging residents and tourists to avoid direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day, stay indoors where possible, and drink plenty of water.

Temperatures have climbed above 40C in several European countries, prompting health warnings for millions of people.

Scientists and officials warn that extreme heat events are becoming more frequent and intense as the climate warms.

A woman pauses while she walks through a water mist machine in Romania. / Credit: AP

The current heatwave has exposed vulnerabilities in public health systems, power generation, transport networks, and tourism infrastructure, forcing governments and businesses to adapt to increasingly frequent periods of extreme weather.

On Thursday, Slovakia recorded a new all-time high temperature of 42.2C at Dolné Plachtince, in the south of the country, according to the Slovak Meteorological Institute.

Low water levels on the Danube also forced Slovakia’s largest hydroelectric power plant at Gabčíkovo to shut down seven of its eight turbines, the TASR news agency reported.

In southeastern France, firefighters maintained a major presence in the Var region after authorities said a large wildfire was no longer spreading but remained at risk of reigniting.

The blaze, which began on July 20, has burned more than 60 square kilometres (23 square miles), making it the largest recorded in the region in recent decades.

Authorities warned that strong winds and exceptionally dry conditions have continued to leave southeastern France at a very high risk of further wildfires.