Heatwaves, Wildfires Grip World As Extreme Weather Persists, Nearly all major Italian cities on red heat alert

Swathes of Europe, Asia, and the Americas are experiencing extreme weather conditions, including scorching heatwaves and wildfires, prompting health warnings and raising concerns about climate change.
In Greece, firefighters are battling blazes near Athens, while heat alerts have been issued in Spain. In Italy's Sardinia, children have been warned to avoid sports due to safety concerns. The city of Phoenix in the United States broke a 49-year-old record with 19 consecutive days of temperatures reaching 43.3 degrees Celsius (110 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher.

Authorities worldwide have emphasized the health risks associated with the extreme heat, urging people to stay hydrated and seek shelter from the sun. Southern France has witnessed the breaking of several local temperature records, with the Alpine ski resort of Alpe d'Huez reaching a record 29.5 degrees Celsius (85 degrees Fahrenheit) at an altitude of 1,860 meters (6,100 feet), and Verdun recording 40.6 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time.

The World Meteorological Agency (WMO) of the United Nations warned that the trend of heatwaves shows no signs of decreasing and called for preparations to deal with more intense heatwaves. John Nairn, a senior extreme heat advisor at the WMO, emphasized the need for the world to be ready for the increasing intensity of such events.

Red alerts for extreme heat are in place in most of Italy's main cities as a heatwave intensifies in Europe.

Temperatures are expected to peak on Wednesday, with 23 cities on high alert - from Trieste in the north-east to Messina in the south-west.

The warnings mean the heat poses a threat to everybody, not just vulnerable groups.