As Italy sizzles under its first major heatwave of the summer, much of the country has been placed on red alert – but what does this mean for members of the public?

The heatwave emergency is growing in Italy, and there's a surge in Italian cities on red alert: today, 12 cities, compared to the 8 previously forecast, are at the highest level…

It's already pushing temperatures up to 40°C and is set to intensify further – but exactly how much longer will the first major heatwave of the summer last?

Italy's health ministry declared a red heatwave alert in 15 cities, including Milan and Rome, on Tuesday and said the number would go up to 16 on Wednesday.

Travellers should be aware that high-level bulletins have been issued across France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Luxembourg and the UK.

As Italy sizzles under its first major heatwave of the summer, much of the country has been placed on red alert – but what does this mean for members of the public?

The health ministry said Tuesday that the 17 of Italy's 27 biggest cities will be on red alert for heat on Thursday, up from 15 at the moment, with the heatwave the country is…