ROME, ITALY / RankWire.AI / – Italy placed 17 cities under its highest heat alert on Monday, July 20, as dangerous temperatures continued across central and southern regions. The Italian Ministry of Health increased the total from 14 cities on Sunday. Catania, Messina and Reggio Calabria joined the Level 3 list. Rome, Naples and Palermo remained under red alerts, which warn that prolonged heat can threaten healthy people as well as vulnerable residents.
The 14 cities under red alerts on Sunday were Bari, Campobasso, Civitavecchia, Florence, Frosinone, Genoa and Latina. Naples, Palermo, Perugia, Pescara, Rieti, Rome and Viterbo completed the list. Monday’s update added two cities in Sicily and one in Calabria. No monitored city carried an orange alert, while Ancona, Bolzano and Cagliari stayed at yellow, the preliminary warning level in Italy’s heat-health system.
Italy monitors heat-related health risks in 27 cities and publishes forecasts for the next 24, 48 and 72 hours. Level 0 signals no expected risk, while Level 1 points to conditions that may develop into a heatwave. Level 2 warns of danger for older adults, infants and people with chronic illnesses. Level 3 marks prolonged heat that can affect the wider population, including healthy people who work or exercise outdoors.
Southern Italy bears the strongest heat
The most intense temperatures remained across central Italy, southern regions and the major islands. Rome and Florence approached 36 degrees Celsius, while Naples neared 34 and Palermo reached about 37. Inland areas of Sicily and Sardinia recorded temperatures above 40 degrees in some locations. Northern Italy faced cooler conditions and more unstable weather, creating a clear divide between extreme southern heat and storm risks farther north.
The Civil Protection Department issued yellow weather alerts for rain and thunderstorms in parts of Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Marche and Veneto. Those notices covered storm, flood and local disruption risks rather than heat-related health dangers. Authorities therefore tracked two separate weather threats across the country. Southern cities remained under severe heat warnings, while several northern and Adriatic areas prepared for unstable conditions and periods of heavy rain.
Public health advice focuses on daytime exposure
The Italian Ministry of Health advised people to avoid direct sunlight during the hottest hours and reduce strenuous outdoor activity. Officials recommended regular water intake, light meals and cooler indoor spaces. Residents should close shutters or curtains where sunlight enters homes. Guidance also urged families and neighbors to check on older people, infants, pregnant women and those with heart, lung or other chronic conditions.
The increase from 14 red alerts on Sunday to 17 on Monday reflected the addition of Catania, Messina and Reggio Calabria. The original 14 cities remained at Level 3 for a second day. Italy updates the heat bulletins throughout summer to provide city-level information for residents, health services and local governments. The latest alert map kept Rome and many southern urban centers under the country’s maximum heat warning during the continuing period of extreme summer temperatures.