Heatwave: the number of cities on red alert rises to 16 on Friday
There are now 15 cities on the highest alert level, more than double the number from yesterday. Deaths linked to extreme temperatures are on the rise: Politico estimates that in Western Europe, in June, there were around 14,000 excess deaths due to the heat
The heat shows no sign of letting up in Italia. The grip of this year’s third heatwave is tightening: 15 cities are currently on ‘red alert’ – the highest alert level – more than double the number from yesterday. On Monday, there were only four.
Red stickers
Among the cities where the alert level is at its highest – Bologna, Brescia, Florence, Frosinone, Perugia, Rome and Turin – Cagliari, Campobasso, Genoa, Latina, Palermo, Pescara, Rieti and Viterbo have been added today. The remaining 27 municipalities monitored by the Ministry of Health’s daily bulletin are classified as yellow or orange, whilst nowhere is the risk level at its lowest, confirming the extreme weather conditions that have been affecting the peninsula for over a week now.
The situation in Rome is of particular concern. In the capital, according to estimates by Legambiente, over the last ten years – from 2015 to 2025 – 80 per cent of the neighbourhoods (124 out of a total of 155) recorded an average daytime ground temperature of between 40 and 45 degrees during the period from 1 June to 31 August, with 12% exceeding 45 degrees and the remaining 8% below 40 degrees.
On Friday, the number of cities on red alert rises to 16
And the number of ‘red alert’ towns – where the risk of extreme heat is at its highest for the entire population – is still rising. On Friday 17 July, there are 16 such towns, compared with 15 tomorrow and 7 today, listed as ‘red alert’ in the Ministry of Health’s heatwave bulletin, which covers 27 cities. These are Bologna, Brescia, Bari, Campobasso, Florence, Frosinone, Genoa, Latina, Milan, Palermo, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome, Turin and Viterbo. The new entry is Milan. Also on Friday, an orange alert – with a heat risk only for the most vulnerable – is in place for Ancona, Civitavecchia, Messina and Naples.
The heatwave in Europe
The heatwave currently affecting Italia and parts of the continent is the third of the year, following those at the end of May and in the second half of June. An analysis by Politico highlights the catastrophic effects that extreme temperatures had on the European population in June 2026: according to the study, the heatwave is estimated to have caused thousands of deaths across Western Europe.
