Italy places 9 cities under red alert over extreme heat

Italian authorities issued red alerts in nine cities Friday as the country faced its fifth heat wave of the summer, with temperatures forecast to reach around 45C (113F).

The highest-level warnings were issued for Bari, Cagliari, Campobasso, Catania, Latina, Messina, Palermo, Reggio Calabria and the capital Rome, public broadcaster Rai News reported.

A red alert indicates emergency conditions in which extreme heat poses health risks to the entire population, including healthy and active people, rather than only vulnerable groups such as older adults, young children and people with chronic illnesses.

The latest heat wave was driven by a North African anticyclone, with Friday expected to be the hottest day of Italy’s summer.

Sardinia and Sicily were forecast to experience the most severe conditions, with temperatures around 45C. Some weather models projected local peaks of as much as 48C (118.4F).

Temperatures were also expected to exceed 40C (104F) in Calabria, Puglia and Campania, while Rome was forecast to reach 39C (102.2F).

Eleven other cities, Ancona, Bologna, Bolzano, Civitavecchia, Florence, Frosinone, Naples, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti and Viterbo, were placed under orange alerts.

Exceptional nighttime heat also provided little relief across much of southern Italy and central coastal areas. Minimum temperatures remained above 25C (77F) in many locations and approached 30C (86F) in parts of the south.

Northern Italy, meanwhile, faced severe thunderstorms across the Alps, Prealps and nearby plains, with heavy rainfall and hail possible.

Temperatures are expected to decline in central Italy on Saturday, although extreme heat is forecast to persist in southern regions, where late-August records could be broken.