Overview
- Forecasts this week show a growing subtropical/North African anticyclone driving daytime highs of about 38–39°C across the Po Valley and up to 40°C in parts of Sardinia, while Spain and Portugal have reported peaks near 43–44°C.
- Italy’s Ministry of Health raised ten cities to the orange 'bollino' alert and forecasts a red 'bollino' for Florence, and the World Health Organization warned Europe could face “other lethal weeks” of heat.
- Copernicus and ECMWF data confirm June 2026 was the warmest June on record for Western Europe and point to unusually warm Mediterranean sea-surface temperatures that are amplifying heatwave intensity and persistence.
- The late-June heatwave produced widespread impacts including drought, wildfires and thousands of estimated excess deaths, straining emergency services and public-health systems across multiple countries.
- Forecasts differ by model and region, so authorities stress short-term local warnings, cooling measures and readiness for at least one to two more weeks of elevated heat driven by recurring 'heat dome' patterns from North Africa.