The Italian Health Ministry will place 25 of the 27 monitored Italian cities under a red alert on Monday. The highest warning level is being issued as a subtropical anticyclone from North Africa strengthens over the Mediterranean, driving extreme heat across the region.
The red alerts are issued when heat conditions pose a risk to the entire population rather than just vulnerable groups. This follows several heat waves in Italy this year, including periods in late May, the second half of June, mid-July, and an ongoing wave that began in late July or early August. Some heat waves, specifically the intense period in June, have been linked to multiple deaths.
Affected Cities and Precautions
The cities designated for the highest alert on Monday include Bolzano, Campobasso, Civitavecchia, Florence, Frosinone, Latina, Perugia, Rieti, Rome, Turin, Viterbo, Bologna, Brescia, Cagliari, Milan, Naples, Pescara, Venice, Verona, Catania, Genoa, Palermo, Trieste, Ancona, and Bari.
The Italian Health Ministry urges residents in these areas to stay indoors, drink plenty of fluids, and avoid direct sunlight and heat exposure between 11:00 and 18:00.
While 25 cities face red alerts on Monday, the status of other locations varies. On Sunday, 23 cities were under red alert. Regarding Monday, the Health Ministry's heat wave bulletin states that only Messina and Reggio Calabria will remain under a yellow alert, indicating no significant health risk. However, other reports indicate that Reggio Calabria and Messina are expected to be on a second-highest 'amber' alert on Monday.
Heat across Europe
The intense weather follows broader patterns across the continent.
Europe is the fastest warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average.
