Overview
- The heatwave is at or near its peak in Italy on Wednesday, with the Ministry of Health issuing orange alerts for many cities and red (level 3) warnings for Bologna, Firenze, Roma and Torino for Thursday.
- Daytime maxima have reached about 35–36°C across the Po Valley and central cities, with heat felt up to roughly 37°C in some areas and anomalies of 8–9°C above seasonal norms.
- Local services are under pressure: Turin hospitals report higher emergency admissions and localized blackouts, rail operators have altered schedules, and several European countries have reported heat‑related deaths and drownings.
- Forecast models show the anticyclone will weaken from Thursday as cooler upper‑air currents arrive, triggering diurnal thunderstorms that will lower peak temperatures only modestly while raising humidity and the risk of intense, localized storms.
- Public‑health measures are active—cooled centers, hotlines and warnings for the elderly, children and outdoor workers—and experts note the event fits a pattern of more frequent off‑season heat extremes linked to a warmer climate.