Italy’s 4th heat wave peaks with red alerts in record 25 cities

Temperatures exceed 40C as warming Mediterranean intensifies heat, wildfire risks

Italy’s fourth heat wave of the summer reached its peak on Monday, with red alerts issued for a record 25 cities as temperatures exceeded 40C (104F) in parts of the country, local media reported.

The Health Ministry raised the number of cities under its highest heat-risk warning from 23 on Sunday to 25 on Monday, the most recorded this summer, according to the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

Only Reggio Calabria and Messina were excluded from the red-alert list, though both remained under yellow warnings.

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The Po Valley and central Italy are bearing the brunt of the heat, while temperatures in inland areas and Sardinia could also rise above 40C (104F).

In parts of central and northern Italy, overnight temperatures are expected to remain above 25C (77F), resulting in what meteorologists describe as “super-tropical nights.”

Temperatures reached 41C (105.8) in the central province of Terni on Sunday.

Experts attributed the extreme conditions to an African anticyclone and the continued warming of the Mediterranean Sea, where surface temperatures have reached or exceeded 30C (86F) across much of the basin.

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“All this excess heat will fuel atmospheric instability,” said Lorenzo Tedici, a meteorologist at iLMeteo.it, warned of strong afternoon thunderstorms across the Alps and Apennines.

The Civil Protection Department issued yellow alerts for heavy rainfall along the Apennine range from Umbria to Calabria and in inland Sicily.

“For the real overall turning point that should put an end to the hottest phase of summer 2026, we will have to wait at least until mid-August,” Tedici said.

Authorities also warned of elevated wildfire risks, placing Sicily and Emilia-Romagna under orange alerts.