Italy has raised the health alarm to its maximum setting for all major urban areas, the Health Ministry announced Thursday, citing sustained high temperatures. The ministry issued red alerts covering a geographic sweep from Palermo in southern Sicily to Bolzano in the mountainous north.
The red alert status denotes a potential health emergency - a formal recognition that extended periods of very high temperatures present a serious risk to the entire population. Authorities said the designation reflects concern over ongoing heat stress and its potential to affect large segments of society.
The heatwave responsible for these warnings has shifted eastward across Europe in recent weeks. Austria has reported successive national temperature records this week, with thermometers reaching 41.2 degrees Celsius (106.2 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, according to official figures cited by regional authorities.
Cities across Italy have put in place measures intended to reduce heat exposure for residents. In Genoa, officials are allowing people aged 65 and older free entry to museums and libraries during the hottest hours of the day this month to provide cooler indoor respite. In Rome, a program offering free screenings in air-conditioned cinemas has been extended by 10 days, now running through August 14.
Regional governments are also responding to secondary risks linked to the heat. The Piedmont region, whose capital is Turin, declared a state of emergency this week over drought conditions and heightened wildfire risk as rivers in the area fall to historically low levels. Local authorities cited the combination of scarce water resources and warm, dry conditions as the rationale for the emergency declaration.
Beyond Italy, other European states are taking steps to conserve energy and protect infrastructure. Hungary switched off decorative and non-essential lighting at state institutions at night - measures that include the Parliament building and much of the Buda Castle and Chain Bridge - in an effort to save power. Persistently low levels on the Danube have forced Hungary to largely suspend operations at its only nuclear plant, which relies on the river for cooling.
The situation presents overlapping public health, environmental and energy system challenges as countries contend with both immediate heat-related health risks and knock-on effects on water and power systems.