Overview
- As of Friday, July 31 the Ministry of Health has expanded its highest 'bollino rosso' warnings to roughly 19 cities with forecasts that 23 of 27 monitored towns could be red over the weekend.
- Forecasters expect daytime peaks of about 40–41°C across much of the country with local highs up to 44°C in parts of Sardinia and nights that stay above 20–25°C, increasing heat stress.
- Hospitals report a 10–15% rise in emergency visits for dehydration and heat-related illness, and regional agencies warn that sustained heat and humidity reduce overnight recovery for vulnerable people.
- The heat is worsening secondary impacts: the Po basin shows high water‑scarcity severity, grape harvests are advancing, and new wildfires have broken out in the Gargano and Sardinia regions.
- Cities and agencies are activating local protections such as cooling refuges and a municipal Rider House in Bologna to aid outdoor workers, while scientists note the event fits a regional trend of more frequent and intense heat extremes though formal attribution of a single wave requires further analysis.