Europe heat wave puts all major Italian cities on red alert as Austria sets heat record

Europe heat wave puts all major Italian cities on red alert as Austria sets heat record 1 of 5 | Water lilies form small islands on Mattheiser Pond. where the water level has dropped and the shoreline is nearly dry following several days of prolonged dry weather, in Trier, Germany, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (Harald Tittel/dpa via AP) 2 of 5 | A gray heron crouches among water lilies while searching for prey in Mattheiser Pond, where the water level has dropped and the shoreline is nearly dry following several days of prolonged dry weather, in Trier, Germany, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (Harald Tittel/dpa via AP) 3 of 5 | Tourists take shelter as they walk in front of the Rome’a ancient Colosseum, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) 4 of 5 | Tourists use handheld fans as they pause in Piazza del Campidoglio on Rome’s Capitoline Hill, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) 5 of 5 | Tourists use umbrellas for shade as they visit Rome’s ancient Forum, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) By Giada Zampano, Kirsten Grieshaber and Justin Spike Updated 1:19 PM MESZ, August 6, 2026 Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Rome (AP) — Italy placed all of its major cities under the highest heat alert Thursday as a blistering heat wave gripped Europe, setting a national temperature record in Austria, fueling wildfires in France and disrupting energy and transport systems across the continent. The extreme weather has pushed temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in several countries, prompting health warnings for millions of people. Across Europe, authorities are grappling with the consequences of extreme heat: health alerts for millions in Italy, record temperatures in Austria, drought-related disruptions to energy and shipping in Central Europe, and wildfires stretching from France to the Balkans. Scientists and officials warn that such events are becoming more frequent and intense as the climate warms. From the Mediterranean to Central Europe, prolonged heat, drought and wildfire conditions are increasingly becoming defining features of summer. The current heat wave has exposed vulnerabilities in public health systems, power generation, transportation networks and tourism infrastructure, forcing governments and businesses to adapt to more frequent periods of extreme weather. Italy’s Health Ministry placed all 27 cities monitored under its national heat surveillance system on red alert Thursday — the first time this year the entire network has been under the highest warning level simultaneously. What to know about the historic wildfires in France and Spain 5 MIN READ 14 Fire in Fontainebleau forest near Paris triggers evacuations; 10 still missing in Spanish wildfire 4 MIN READ 11 Europe’s hot, dry summer takes its toll with fires in France and Greece, and drought in the UK 4 MIN READ 11 The alerts stretch from Trieste in the northeast to Palermo in Sicily and signal a health risk for the entire population, not only vulnerable groups such as older adults and people with chronic illnesses. Authorities urged residents and tourists to avoid direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day, remain indoors where possible and drink plenty of water as temperatures in some areas approached 40 C (104 F). The heat has also forced adjustments at major tourist attractions. The ministries of tourism and culture extended evening opening hours at landmarks including Rome’s Colosseum and Pantheon. Cooling mist fans have been installed at the Colosseum’s entrances and additional medical stations have been made available. The most intense temperatures were recorded in Austria, where the mercury reached 41.2 C (106.2 F) on Wednesday in the village of Bad Deutsch-Altenburg near the Slovak border, according to GeoSphere Austria. It was the highest temperature ever recorded in the country. Austria is also facing severe drought. Rainfall from Jan. 1 through June 30 was 27% below the long-term average nationwide, while some eastern regions received only half their normal precipitation. Climatologist Alexander Orlik said some parts of the country had not experienced such dry conditions since 1885. Hungary cuts power use as drought hits nuclear plant In Hungary, prolonged drought and record-low water levels on the Danube River have severely affected the country’s only nuclear power plant, which relies on river water to cool its reactors. Plant operators have reduced output to about 10% of normal production, prompting the government to introduce emergency conservation measures as a record-breaking heat wave grips the country. Authorities have asked major industrial users and households to cut electricity consumption, particularly during peak demand hours between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. Freight trains have been barred from operating during those hours, while decorative lighting on landmarks in Budapest has been switched off. Several major companies, including energy company Mol, pharmaceutical maker Gedeon Richter and automakers Suzuki, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW have announced plans to curb electricity use. The government also canceled parliamentary sessions this week in an effort to conserve power. The heat wave has shattered temperature records across the country. On Wednesday night, Budapest recorded its warmest overnight low temperature on record, with temperatures falling only to 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit), underscoring the persistence of the extreme heat. Germany faced growing concerns over the impact of drought on transportation and industry as water levels on the Rhine and other rivers continued to fall. Transport Minister Steffen Bilger met affected organizations Thursday and warned that low water levels posed major challenges for inland waterway shipping, industry and the broader logistics chain. Environmental group BUND urged authorities to focus not only on the economic impacts but also on making rivers more resilient to climate change by retaining more water in landscapes and reducing withdrawals during periods of drought. In southeastern France, firefighters maintained a large presence in the Var region after authorities said a major wildfire there was no longer spreading but remained capable of reigniting. The blaze, which began July 20, has burned more than 60 square kilometers (23 square miles), making it the largest recorded in the region in recent decades. Authorities warned that strong winds and extremely dry conditions left southeastern France at very high risk for additional wildfires. The heat wave reached its peak across the Balkans on Thursday as temperatures neared 40 C (104 F) and authorities battled drought and wildfires. In Serbia, firefighters struggled to contain several blazes after days of dry weather. One major fire burned through pine forests west of Belgrade, while another spread near the central town of Kraljevo, where difficult terrain complicated firefighting efforts. In neighboring Croatia, tourists in Dubrovnik sought refuge in shade and avoided beaches during the hottest hours of the day as temperatures soared along the Adriatic coast. Associated Press journalists Sylvie Corbet in Paris, Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Serbia and Karel Janicek in Prague contributed to this report. Kirsten Grieshaber Grieshaber is a Berlin-based reporter covering Germany and Austria for The Associated Press. She covers general news as well as migration, populism and religion. mailto Justin Spike Spike is an Associated Press reporter based in Budapest, Hungary. twitter mailto