A third major heat wave driven by an African anticyclone is set to engulf Italy and western Europe from Monday, with forecasters warning it could persist until at least 22 July. Interior regions of Sardinia may see peaks of 43–45°C, while the Po Valley and central Italy are expected to reach 40°C. Sea surface temperatures in the Ligurian Sea and Gulf of Lion are running 7–8°C above seasonal norms.
The heat has compounded existing crises in Italy, where wildfires have destroyed 700,000 trees in Piedmont and briefly threatened Olbia's airport. Coldiretti fears rice harvests could fall 30% and milk production drop 20%, with only days of irrigation water left in the Po basin.
In France, 24 départements are on red heat alert, covering more than 22 million residents. SNCF has cancelled one in three Intercités trains during peak heat, and Paris has cancelled its Bastille Day firefighters' balls. Wildfires have burned over 25,000 hectares nationwide this year, nearly double the 2025 figure.