**Italy Braces for Peak of Heatwave, Red Alerts Issued for Nine Cities**
ROME – A short‑lived but intense heatwave is expected to reach its apex on Friday, August 28, 2026, with temperatures forecast to approach 45 °C on Sicily and Sardinia. The Italian government placed nine cities under its highest‑level red heat warning, indicating a health risk for the general population.
**Red‑Level Alerts**
According to the latest bulletin from the Ministry of Health, the following cities are subject to red alerts:
– Rome
– Palermo
– Bari
– Cagliari
– Reggio Calabria
– Campobasso
– Catania
– Latina
– Messina
Temperatures in these locations are projected to reach levels that could endanger public health.
**Meteorological Outlook**
Lorenzo Tedici, a meteorologist with the weather service iLMeteo.it, warned that “the situation will be critical in Sardinia and Sicily, where temperatures will reach 45 °C, with some mathematical models not ruling out extreme peaks of 48 °C.” He added that the regions of Calabria, Puglia and Campania are also expected to exceed 40 °C, while Rome is forecast to hover around 39 °C.
**Other Alerts**
The health ministry’s orange alert—signalling heightened risk for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and young children—covers Ancona, Bologna, Bolzano, Civitavecchia, Florence, Frosinone, Naples, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti and Viterbo. A yellow pre‑alert, indicating a lower but still notable risk, applies to Brescia, Genoa, Milan, Venice and Verona.
**Regional Weather Variations**
Northern Italy is expected to experience more moderate temperatures, with severe thunderstorms predicted to develop in the western Alps and move eastward across the Triveneto region and the Po Valley.
**Weekend Forecast**
The heat is projected to ease over the weekend. Saturday, August 29, should see a temperature drop of 3–4 °C in the centre‑north, followed by a similar decline in the south on Sunday, August 30. On Saturday, red alerts will remain for Bari, Catania, Messina, Palermo and Reggio Calabria, while Civitavecchia and Naples shift to orange alerts. A yellow pre‑alert will apply to Ancona, Bolzano, Cagliari, Campobasso, Florence, Frosinone, Latina, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome and Verona. The remaining cities—including Bologna, Brescia, Genoa, Milan, Turin, Trieste, Venice and Viterbo—are under a green “zero‑risk” alert.
**Long‑Term Outlook**
Tedici cautioned that the summer is not yet over, noting that the “relentless African anticyclone” driving the current heat is expected to dominate again from early September. Forecasters suggest that 2026 could rank among Italy’s hottest summers on record, potentially surpassing the 2003 heatwave.
Scientists link the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves to global warming, primarily driven by human emissions of carbon‑based fuels. They warn that such extreme temperature events are likely to become more common as global temperatures continue to rise.
Article and image source: thelocal.it
