A third severe heatwave of the year began building over Europe on 8 July, with the World Health Organization warning that “lethal weeks” may lie ahead. In Italy, the health ministry placed 10 cities under orange alert, signalling high risk for vulnerable populations, while Florence was set to move to red alert—the maximum level—on 9 July. Temperatures in the Po Valley were expected to hit 39°C, and Sardinia could reach 42°C by the weekend. Across the western Mediterranean, Spain’s state meteorological agency recorded 44°C in parts of Aragon and Catalonia, and southern Portugal braced for 43°C. The heat follows a late-June event that was the most intense on record in Europe, causing an estimated 3,700 excess deaths in France, the Netherlands and Belgium alone.

The immediate driver is a large African anticyclone drawing hot, dry air from the Sahara across the central and western Mediterranean. In northern Italy, Foehn winds are amplifying the effect. A rapid attribution study by the World Weather Attribution network concluded that the June heatwave would have been impossible without human-caused climate change. Italian meteorologists note that average urban temperatures have risen by 4°C since 1975, with nighttime lows frequently staying above 25°C—a phenomenon now described as “super-tropical.” The Mediterranean Sea itself reached record temperatures for late June, up to 2.6°C above the norm, according to Spanish authorities.

The health impact is already visible. WHO Europe’s regional director, Hans Kluge, told an emergency meeting of 41 member states that fewer than half have national heat-health action plans, and urged them to address gaps exposed in recent weeks. In Milan, the city council issued an ordinance requiring delivery platforms to reduce or suspend assignments between 12:30 and 16:00 to protect riders. The agricultural and fisheries sectors are also under strain: in the Venetian lagoon, a sudden die-off of 1,000 quintals of mussels was reported, while up to 90% of clams were lost in Goro, with water temperatures reaching 32°C. Wildfires have already consumed nearly 20,000 hectares across Portugal, Spain, France and Greece this summer.

The persistence of the heat is a central concern. Forecasts indicate the current wave could last until at least 20 July, and some meteorologists suggest that the distinction between individual heatwaves is blurring into a single, months-long hot phase. The WHO is focusing on strengthening health-system preparedness, while Italian authorities are monitoring excess mortality and expanding public information campaigns. The next milestone will be the release of updated mortality data and the extent to which national heat plans are activated across the region.