Italy issues highest heat warning for major cities amid intensifying heatwave

Italy has issued its highest possible heat warning for nearly all its major cities as a new heatwave intensifies. The Italian Ministry of Health's latest bulletin indicates that 25 out of 27 monitored cities are under a "red" warning on Monday, an increase from 19 cities on Saturday. Only Reggio Calabria and Messina remain at the lower "yellow" warning level.

The "Bollino rosso" or red heat warning is the highest level on Italy's four-tier health warning scale for heat. Such intense heatwaves can cause health problems not only for at-risk groups but also for healthy and active individuals. The Ministry of Health advises residents in affected areas to drink plenty of fluids, stay indoors, and avoid strenuous exercise and direct sunlight.

Temperatures are expected to reach around 40 degrees Celsius in some areas, caused by a high-pressure system extending from North Africa across the Mediterranean. This Italian heat warning comes as several European countries battle wildfires that have burned thousands of hectares. The European Commission's Joint Research Centre reported that wildfires in the EU have exceeded a record area burned for the calendar year.

Climate change is raising global average temperatures, and successive heatwaves create favorable conditions for wildfires to ignite and spread. Europe has been warming at twice the global average rate since the 1980s, according to a report by the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization.