Italy's heat alert climbs as Tuscany braces for red-level temperatures

Italy is placing nearly all of its major cities under the highest alert for heat from Monday, as a fresh heatwave grips the country, authorities said on Saturday, according to The Local Italy. The BBC reports that 19 major cities, including Rome, Milan and Naples, are already on red alert, and by Monday all but two will be.

Florence is among the cities facing the most severe warning, a designation that carries health risks for the elderly and vulnerable, and strains a tourism economy that draws millions of visitors to its historic centre each summer. The red alert, the highest level on Italy's heat warning scale, signals conditions that can pose a danger to the whole population, not just those at risk.

For Tuscany, the heatwave adds pressure to a season already marked by concerns over overtourism and the comfort of visitors who crowd the Uffizi and the Ponte Vecchio in August. The region's hills, dotted with vineyards and olive groves, face drought stress that has become a recurring theme in coverage of Italian agriculture and climate.