Europe heatwave puts Italy on red alert, Hungary cuts power

A blistering heatwave tightened its grip across Europe on Thursday, August 6, 2026, forcing Italy to issue its highest health alert for all major cities and triggering emergency energy conservation measures in Hungary as critical infrastructure buckled under the strain. The extreme weather has set national temperature records, fueled wildfires, and severely disrupted power generation and river transport, underscoring the continent's mounting vulnerability to prolonged high temperatures.

Italy's Health Ministry placed all 27 cities in its national heat surveillance network on red alert, marking the first time this year the entire system was at the highest level simultaneously. The warning, stretching from Trieste in the northeast to Palermo in Sicily, signals a health risk for the entire population, not just vulnerable groups. Authorities urged people to avoid direct sunlight during peak heat, stay indoors, and stay hydrated as temperatures approached 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). Major tourist sites like Rome's Colosseum and Pantheon extended evening hours and installed cooling mist fans.

The most intense heat was recorded in Austria, where the village of Bad...