Italy puts four major cities on red heatwave alert

Italy placed four major cities under red heatwave alert on Wednesday as Europe swelters through an early-season scorcher.

Rome, Florence, Turin and Bologna will be upgraded to the highest-level red alert, with the hot streak expected to continue into Thursday, according to the Italian Health Ministry.

Authorities warned that temperatures in the four cities could soar to 35 degrees Celsius, posing health risks to everyone, especially the elderly, children and people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Under the red alert, residents have been advised to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., when extreme heat can trigger heatstroke, dehydration and sunburn.

Italian meteorological website iLMeteo said an African anticyclone has become increasingly dominant over the Mediterranean basin, bringing unusually hot conditions to Italy in late May.

Forecasters expect the pattern to persist into early June, with the mercury likely to stay above seasonal averages across Italy and much of western and central Europe.

The unusually high temperatures are raising concerns over the arrival of summer heatwaves well ahead of schedule, with astronomical summer officially beginning on June 21.

Several European countries have issued health warnings amid record-breaking temperatures while renewing calls for accelerated action to address climate change and extreme weather risks.