In brief
A new heatwave has snapped Italy into action, with 19 of its most populated cities, from Rome to Naples, placed on red alert. Health officials warn that the extreme heat threatens everyone, not just vulnerable groups. By Monday, all but two cities will be at the highest danger level, while wildfires across Europe continue to burn. The drought is linked to a strengthening subtropical anticyclone, and climate change is amplifying Europe's hottest summer temperatures.
Italy’s health ministry has put 19 of its largest cities on the highest “red” heat alert as temperatures surge across the country.
The alert currently covers cities from north to south – including Rome, Milan, Venice, and Naples – and by Monday all but two – Reggio Calabria and Messina – are expected to be on red alert.
Authorities say the heat, which reached mid‑30s Celsius in many places on Saturday, poses risks to everyone, even healthy and active people. Residents are urged to avoid direct sunlight between 11:00 and 18:00, stay indoors, and drink plenty of fluids.
The extreme heat is caused by a strengthening subtropical anticyclone from North Africa that now sits over the Mediterranean. While Italian cities brace for the heat, firefighters in Greece, France, Portugal and Spain are still battling blazes that have burned thousands of hectares.
In France, about 2,500 people were evacuated in the Var region after a blaze that had been contained re‑ignited, while a large fire in the Gironde region has now been brought under control, allowing residents to return home. In Greece, hundreds of mostly‑tourist evacuees were moved by sea from a coastal town of Viotia that was surrounded by fire. Spain’s burned area has reached over 200,000 hectares – roughly five times the average – and Portugal’s burned land is also higher than usual, according to EU data.
Climate change is driving up temperatures globally, and Europe is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, the Copernicus Climate Change Service reports. This rapid warming leads to more intense summer heatwaves, higher pressure on water supplies, and more powerful wildfires.
