Italy places 25 of 27 largest cities on red heat alert as new heatwave grips Europe
The Italian health ministry says 25 cities including Rome, Milan and Naples will be under the highest-level warning on Monday, with perceived temperatures reaching 39°C, as a subtropical anticyclone from North Africa intensifies over the Mediterranean.
Red alert for 25 cities
On Monday 3 August, 25 of Italy's 27 largest cities will be under the highest-level red alert for extreme heat, according to the health ministry's bulletin issued Saturday. Only Reggio Calabria in the far south and Messina in Sicily will remain on yellow, level 1 on the ministry's scale, which denotes pre-alert conditions that may precede a heatwave. The scale runs from level 0, green, through yellow and orange to level 3, red. The escalation has been rapid: 19 cities were already on red alert on Saturday, rising to 23 on Sunday, before reaching 25 on Monday. Catania, Genoa, Palermo, and Trieste will join the red list on Sunday, with Ancona and Bari added on Monday. The cities affected span the entire peninsula, from Bolzano in the north to Palermo in the south, including Rome, Milan, Naples, Venice, Florence, Turin, and Bologna.
- 19 cities on red alert
- 23 cities on red alert
- 25 cities on red alert
Temperatures and health risks
Perceived maximum temperatures are forecast to hit 39°C in Naples, 38°C in Florence and Palermo, and 37°C in Rome. Northern cities such as Turin, Trieste, and Venice are expected to reach 36°C. The health ministry describes the red alert as an emergency situation with potential harmful effects on healthy and active individuals, not only on vulnerable groups like the elderly, young children, and those with chronic illnesses.
A situation of emergency (heatwave) likely to have harmful effects on the health of healthy and active people, and not only on at-risk groups such as the elderly, very young children and people with chronic illnesses.
Residents are urged to avoid direct sunlight and heat exposure between 11:00 and 18:00, stay indoors, and drink plenty of fluids. The extreme conditions are driven by a subtropical anticyclone from North Africa that is strengthening over the Mediterranean.
- Naples
- 39 °C
- Florence
- 38 °C
- Palermo
- 38 °C
- Rome
- 37 °C
- Turin
- 36 °C
- Trieste
- 36 °C
- Venice
- 36 °C
A continent under heat
The Italian alert is part of a broader heatwave affecting Europe. After scorching Western Europe earlier in the week, the heat shifted to central regions on Friday, with temperatures potentially reaching 41°C in the coming days. Europe is the fastest-warming continent, heating up at twice the global average rate, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. This trend is increasing the frequency and intensity of summer heatwaves.
Wildfires across southern Europe
The prolonged heat has created favourable conditions for wildfires in several countries. In France, 2,500 people were evacuated from the Var region on Friday evening after a previously contained blaze reignited, while a massive fire in the Gironde region is now under control, allowing 200,000 evacuees to return home. In Greece, hundreds of tourists were evacuated by sea from the coastal town of Viotia, hemmed in by one of many wildfires. Spain has seen 221,446 hectares burn in 2026, some 132 per cent above the 20-year average and roughly six times the area lost by the same point in 2025, and Portugal's burnt area is also above normal, EU data shows.
