Italy Issues Red Alert in 27 Cities Due to Extreme Heat; Monument Visiting Hours Extended

A powerful heatwave has swept across Italy, from Trieste in the north to Palermo in the south, prompting the country’s 27 major cities to be placed on the highest alert level.

For the first time this year, the Italian Health Ministry has activated a red alert for all 27 cities monitored by the national surveillance system. The decision reflects concerns about the impact high temperatures could have on public health.

In some areas, temperatures have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, while weather forecasts indicate that the extreme conditions are expected to last for at least another week.

So far, the heatwave has claimed four lives. The victims include a 19-year-old who was working in a tomato field, a 40-year-old carpenter in Lombardy and a security guard in Bologna who was found dead inside his vehicle.

Health services have urged residents not to leave their homes between 11:00 and 18:00, to drink at least 1.5 litres of water each day and to avoid alcohol and coffee. Authorities have also warned that children and pets should never be left in closed vehicles.

The effects are not limited to public health. High temperatures, combined with the prolonged drought, have worsened the water crisis in the Po River Valley. As a result, more than 100 towns in Piedmont and Lombardy are being supplied with water by tanker trucks and temporary reservoirs.

The agricultural sector has also been affected. Grapes have begun ripening earlier than usual, while milk production has fallen by around 10 percent due to the heat stress experienced by livestock.

According to scientists, climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity and duration of heatwaves. Lorenzo Giovannini, a physicist at the University of Trento, says Europe is warming at twice the global average rate.

To reduce the risk to residents and millions of tourists, cities such as Rome have introduced special measures. Air-conditioned facilities have been opened during the hottest hours, while visiting hours at monuments, including the Colosseum, have been extended to allow tourists to visit them in the evening.