A new wave of African heat has prompted the first orange health alerts in Italian cities, signaling significant heat risks for vulnerable populations. Florence and Rieti will be under orange alert – the second-highest risk level – on Friday. Only the red alert poses a greater danger, affecting all citizens.
While all 27 monitored cities were at the lowest green level (no risk) on Wednesday, four cities shifted to yellow (pre-alert status) on Thursday: Bolzano, Florence, Perugia, and Rieti. Friday’s forecast shows a substantial expansion, with 11 yellow alerts in addition to the two orange warnings. The yellow alert list includes Bologna, Brescia, Frosinone, Latina, Milan, Rome, Trieste, Verona, Viterbo, Bolzano, and Perugia. Significantly, all five provincial capitals in the Lazio region will be under alert Friday – four yellow and one orange.
Meteorologist Lorenzo Tedici of iLMeteo.it warns of intense heat gripping Italy for the next 10 days, driven by an African anticyclone. Temperatures are forecast to soar up to 40°C (104°F) in the shade across large areas. “These are extreme heat values, especially significant as we are in August and daylight hours are already shortening,” Tedici explained.
Specific peaks include 40°C (104°F) in Terni, 39°C (102°F) in Florence, and 38°C (100°F) in Rome. Milan will experience highs of 36°C (97°F) during the weekend peak, feeling like 40°C (104°F) due to high humidity. The African high-pressure system is expected to persist until at least August 16-17, bringing minimums of 20-24°C (68-75°F) and maximums between 35-40°C (95-104°F). Thunderstorms are possible in the North the following week.
Regional Forecast:**
**Thursday 7:** Increasing sun, heat, and humidity in the North. Sharply rising heat and sun in Central and Southern Italy.
**Friday 8:** Rising sun, heat, and humidity in the North. Strongly increasing heat and sun in the Centre. Sharply rising heat, sun, and humidity in the South.
**Saturday 9:** Further increases in sun, heat, and humidity across all regions (North, Centre, South).
Outlook:** The African anticyclone will dominate Italy until at least mid-August (Ferragosto), with highs consistently between 35-40°C (95-104°F).
(Source: ANSA – Copernicus reports July 2025 as the third hottest on record, noting “devastating climate events” also occurred last month).*