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Heatwave: temperatures up by 7 degrees in several cities in June, up by 9 in Turin

In the capital of Piedmont, the daily death rate among the over-65s has shown a significant increase

by Ernesto Diffidenti

2 July 2026

Turisti si proteggono dal caldo bevendo e utilizzando degli ombrelli al centro storico della Capitale. Roma, 24 giugno 2026. ANSA/MASSIMO PERCOSSI ANSA

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Preliminary data
The public helpline number 1500 is now active
Green stickers are back as the bad weather returns

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

“We have always paid the utmost attention to the heatwave and will continue to do so by constantly monitoring the situation in collaboration with the local health authorities, using the data we collect as our guide; this data must be analysed thoroughly so that we can then take action at both the operational and epidemiological levels.”

This was stated by the Minister of Health, Orazio Schillaci, at the end of the meeting of the Inter-institutional Steering Group held as part of the National Operational Plan on the Effects of Heat.

Preliminary data

Preliminary data have shown that in Italia, in June 2026, the maximum temperatures recorded showed increases of more than 7 degrees compared with the reference period in several cities.

Peaks of over 9 degrees were recorded in Turin, where “the daily mortality rate among the over-65s showed a significant increase”.

In the other cities monitored, “the impact was limited, in terms of statistical significance – with mortality rates equal to or lower than expected – throughout the entire observation period and during the June wave”.

This was also thanks to “the response of the healthcare system and the fact that members of the public have been behaving responsibly”, explained Schillaci.

Data from the monitoring of A&E admissions show no increase in the eight cities monitored, with 49 ‘sentinel’ A&E departments.

The public helpline number 1500 is now active

On 22 June, the Ministry of Health launched the 1500 public helpline, which members of the public can call for information and advice.

As of 1 July, over 400 calls had been received. Lazio, Lombardy and Puglia are the regions with the highest number of requests for support.

Level 1 calls – those involving the most general enquiries – concerned, in 28.7 per cent of cases, heat-related health risks, and in 27.7 per cent of cases, heatwave bulletins.

As for second-level calls, in 58.3% of cases these concerned cardiovascular disorders, whilst in 16.7% they concerned psychosocial problems.

Green stickers are back as the bad weather returns

Meanwhile, bad weather is on its way and temperatures are falling, leading to the reintroduction of green alerts in the Ministry of Health’s heatwave bulletin, indicating that there is no heat-related risk to the general population.

Today there are 6 – out of the 27 towns monitored by the Ministry – and this figure will rise to 16 tomorrow, before increasing further to 18 on Saturday.

Orange alerts (indicating a high risk for the most vulnerable) are also virtually non-existent: only one has been recorded, in Messina.

Among the major cities, Rome, Genoa, Palermo and Perugia are on yellow alert until 4 July. However, with the return of sunshine and warm weather expected this weekend, the number of orange alerts – if not red ones – could well rise again.

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