Older people remain most at risk as the heatwave drives up excess deaths across Europe.By AFP and ReutersPublished On 29 Jun 202629 Jun 2026A record-breaking heatwave has tightened its grip on Italy and the Balkans, killing hundreds of people, fuelling wildfire fears and disrupting daily life across Europe.In Italy, authorities placed 22 cities under red heat warnings on Monday, from Bolzano in the north to Palermo on the southern island of Sicily.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listAt the Vatican, pilgrims used fans and umbrellas to shield themselves from the heat as Pope Leo delivered his Angelus message from a balcony on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, a holiday in Rome.Croatia’s weather service issued red alerts for several regions, including the capital, Zagreb, and the tourist cities of Split and Dubrovnik. On the Adriatic island of Vis, dozens of firefighters, backed by four aircraft, battled a wildfire burning through pine forests about 55km (35 miles) southwest of Split.Much of the Balkans also remained under extreme heat, with temperatures above 35C (95F) forecast across parts of Croatia, Serbia, Romania and Hungary.In neighbouring Albania, firefighters managed to contain a wildfire that tore through bushes and olive trees near the southern village of Klos.“With the extreme heat the risk of forest fires increases, but we are also seeing a lot of rainstorms, which obviously mitigates that risk,” Italian Meteorological Society president Luca Mercalli told Reuters. He noted, however, that storms were localised and the amount of rainfall would vary from place to place.Forecasters say the heat is far from over. Italian Air Force meteorologist Daniele Mocio said current temperatures are expected to persist, staying at eight to 10 degrees Celsius above average for several more days. Advertisement Although Western Europe has seen some relief after record June temperatures, Mercalli said another surge of hot weather is expected from Jul …
