Italy remains gripped by extreme heat. The African anticyclone is set to keep dominating the country’s weather at least until after Ferragosto (August 15), bringing high temperatures and persistent humidity, particularly across central and southern regions.
According to the latest bulletin from the Ministry of Health, 27 cities are currently under a red alert — the highest warning level for heat-related health risks — with 26 expected to remain at that level on Friday. This marks the first time since the start of summer that all major monitored provincial capitals have been placed under maximum alert simultaneously.
The impact is increasingly visible in the healthcare system. Emergency room doctors report a roughly 15% rise in visits, while late June saw a spike in mortality among people over 65, driven by the combination of high temperatures and humidity. Among the most tragic cases, an 81-year-old man died after collapsing on a beach in Bisceglie, and a 55-year-old man died in Bologna.
The extreme heat is also disrupting daily life: air conditioning systems have broken down in some hospitals, parents have protested over the lack of cooling in nurseries, and numerous wildfires have broken out, fueled by the soaring temperatures.
A first, modest shift in conditions is expected between Sunday and Monday, when a weather front could bring thunderstorms and slightly cooler temperatures to the north. In central and southern Italy, however, relief from the heat isn’t expected until the second half of August.
