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Italy's heatwave pushes inland temperatures past 41°C as red alerts persist across 19 cities

· Environment ITA

Temperatures in central Italy surpassed 41°C on Wednesday, with Orvieto recording 41 degrees and Attigliano hitting a peak of 41.1 degrees, as the nation's longest heatwave of the year intensifies ahead of the Ferragosto holiday.

Nineteen cities remain on maximum red alert Wednesday, including Rome, Naples, Florence and Palermo, after the health ministry's latest bulletin. The number will drop to 18 on Thursday as Pescara shifts to a lower pre-alert status. Temperatures are expected to reach 40°C in inland Sicily and Sardinia by Saturday.

The fourth heatwave of 2026, which began in late July and will last roughly 20 days, is being fuelled by conditions that climate change makes more frequent and prolonged, according to Lorenzo Giovannini of the University of Trento. An Atlantic disturbance is expected between August 17 and 18 to bring cooler, unstable air and break the streak of sweltering days.

Story development

  1. Italy's heatwave pushes inland temperatures past 41°C as red alerts persist across 19 cities
  2. Italy heatwave death toll rises as all monitored cities hit red alert and sea temperatures breach 30°C
  3. All 27 monitored Italian cities hit red alert as thermometers reach 48C in Naples
  4. Italy heat wave intensifies as 25 cities hit red alert with peak expected Thursday
  5. Heat wave pushes 19 Italian cities to red alert as extreme temperatures grip Europe

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The reporting this story is built on

adnkronos.com ITA Caldo record, continua l'onda rossa: 19 città in massima allerta, verso Ferragosto di fuocoderstandard.at AUT Italien steuert auf 20-tägige Hitzewelle zuansa.it ITA Caldo fino a domenica, da lunedì attesa una perturbazione - Notizie - Ansa.itansa.it ITA Raggiunti i 41 gradi nell'orvietano, continua l'ondata di caldo sull'Umbria - Notizie - Ansa.it
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Others reporting the same event

repubblica.it ITA Ferragosto, calano i turisti a Firenze: “Colpa dell’ondata di caldo”euronews.com Ξεναγοί κρούουν τον κώδωνα του κινδύνου καθώς η Ευρώπη ετοιμάζεται για νέο καύσωναrp.pl POL Turystyka kontra upały. Włochy wydłużają godziny otwarcia popularnych atrakcji

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