A severe heatwave is gripping parts of North Africa and Southern Europe, while violent storms are forecast to strike France and Italy, prompting authorities across the region to issue safety alerts. No deaths or injuries have been confirmed in connection with the extreme weather, though localised damage from hail and high winds has been reported in several areas.

In Morocco, the national meteorological service has placed several provinces under an orange-level vigilance alert, with temperatures expected to reach 44–47°C in Assa-Zag, Es-Semara, Tata, and Zagora from Wednesday through Saturday. Egyptian officials report that the current heatwave, driven by the seasonal Indian monsoon low and an upper-level high-pressure system, has pushed temperatures in Cairo to 39°C, with a felt index of 41–42°C due to humidity, and 45°C in Aswan. Authorities in both countries have advised residents to avoid direct sun exposure during midday and to increase fluid intake, while agricultural experts warn of potential damage to summer crops, particularly newly planted tomato seedlings and fruit exposed to direct sunlight.

Italian meteorologists note that a brief respite from the third African heatwave of the season—which brought temperatures of up to 45°C in Sicily—is now giving way to a temporary cooling, with daytime highs settling around 32–37°C across the peninsula. However, they caution that long-range models indicate a fourth heatwave is likely to build by the end of July, as the so-called “Camel” tongue of Saharan air returns, potentially pushing temperatures back to 35–37°C from the Po Valley to Rome by 1 August. Meanwhile, French weather services are tracking a depression that will collide with the existing hot air mass over the weekend, generating violent thunderstorms across the southern half of the country. Forecasts point to heavy rainfall of 30–60 mm in short periods, hail, and wind gusts exceeding 100 km/h, with the Languedoc, Provence, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions particularly exposed.

No official casualty figures have been released, and the situation remains under monitoring. The Egyptian meteorological authority expects the heatwave to begin easing from Friday, with a more noticeable return to seasonal norms by Sunday, while Italian and French forecasters continue to refine the timing and intensity of the expected storms and the next heat surge.