Italy is battling its fourth major heatwave of the summer, with temperatures climbing above 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the country. Authorities are stepping up emergency measures amid mounting health, wildfire and agricultural concerns.
ROME, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Italy is battling its fourth major heatwave of the summer, with temperatures climbing above 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the country, and a record number of cities placed under the highest heat alert. Authorities are stepping up emergency measures amid mounting health, wildfire and agricultural concerns.
The latest heatwave reached its peak on Monday, when the Health Ministry placed 25 of the country's 27 monitored cities under "red alert," the highest warning level possible issued for extreme heat.
The alert covered major cities including Rome, Milan, Florence, Bologna, Venice, Naples and Palermo, indicating weather conditions that pose health risks not only to vulnerable groups but also to healthy people exposed to prolonged high temperatures. Temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in several inland areas, with forecasters warning that relief is unlikely before the end of the week.
Health authorities have urged residents and tourists to avoid outdoor activities during the hottest hours of the day, stay hydrated and regularly check on elderly relatives and neighbors. The ministry has continued issuing daily heat bulletins covering 27 major cities, while coordinating emergency response efforts with regional governments and the Civil Protection Department under the national heat emergency plan.
The prolonged spell of hot, dry weather has also heightened the risk of wildfires, particularly across southern Italy and the country's two largest islands, Sicily and Sardinia. Firefighters remain on high alert as strong winds and exceptionally dry vegetation create favorable conditions for fast-moving blazes, while local authorities continue monitoring the areas considered most vulnerable.
Beyond public safety, the heatwave is placing increasing pressure on Italy's agricultural sector. Farmers have warned that persistent drought and extreme temperatures are reducing crop yields, increasing irrigation demand and exposing livestock to severe heat stress. In the northwestern Piedmont region, unusually high temperatures have accelerated grape ripening, prompting one of the earliest harvests in recent years.
The heatwave has also deepened drought conditions across the Po River basin, Italy's most important agricultural region. The Po River Basin Authority said persistently high temperatures and a lack of rainfall have left much of the basin under stress, with low river flows disrupting irrigation and raising concerns over drinking water supplies in several northern municipalities.
Authorities warned that saltwater intrusion in the Po Delta is threatening farmland, while tanker trucks have been deployed to deliver drinking water to some communities in the Lombardy region.
Lorenzo Giovannini, an atmospheric physicist at the University of Trento, told Italy's ANSA news agency that although it is difficult to predict exactly when each heatwave will occur, climate change is making such events "longer and more intense."
Persistently high temperatures, prolonged drought and declining water availability are increasingly becoming interconnected features of Italian summers, Giovannini explained, placing growing pressure on ecosystems, agriculture and public health. ■
