Sardinia on highest heat alert as Italy swelters

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. Some 19 major Italian cities, including Rome, Milan and Naples, are already on red alert, and by Monday all but two will be, the BBC reported. The alerts come as temperatures continue to soar during a summer that has already brought record fire weather across the European Union.

For Sardinia, the heat alert carries particular weight. The island's capital, Cagliari, is among the cities expected to be placed under the highest alert, reflecting a broader pattern of increasingly dry and hot Mediterranean summers. The UK government's travel advice for Italy, updated on 14 July, warns of a high risk of wildfires during the summer as temperatures continue to soar, a warning that applies directly to the island's interior and coastal scrubland.

The heatwave coincides with the peak of the tourist season, when Sardinia's beaches and interior draw visitors from across Europe. The strain on the island's fragile environment is compounded by the dry, windy conditions that fire authorities across the Mediterranean have been battling for weeks.