Italy on red alert as Portugal beats record for hottest May day

Europe is battling an early heatwave, with Portugal experiencing its hottest May day on record at 40.3C in Mora on May 26, breaking the 2001 record of 40C. Italy responded with a red alert for Rome and four northern cities—Florence, Bologna, Brescia, and Turin—warning of health risks for active individuals, as temperatures neared 32C. The extreme heat has already claimed lives in Britain and France, primarily due to drowning incidents linked to high temperatures. France’s Landes region shut a school for two afterdays after corridors reached 53C, causing pupils to faint and vomit. Paris remained under an orange heatwave alert, with temperatures expected to hit 34C. The French Open, held near Paris, faced challenges as players endured scorching conditions. Italy’s Jannik Sinner, a tournament favorite, collapsed from dehydration and dizziness mid-match, losing in the second round. Organizers sprayed courts with water between sets and flooded them at night to cool the clay surface. Spain’s national weather office, Aemet, issued heat alerts for parts of the northeast and north, with temperatures forecast to reach 37C—unusually high for late May. The agency noted that conditions mirrored typical summer levels but predicted a cooldown next week. Tourists in Rome, like US visitor Josh Ren, adjusted their plans to avoid peak heat, seeking shade and air-conditioned spaces. Scientists attribute the intensifying heatwaves to human-driven climate change, warning of more frequent and severe extreme weather events across the continent.