Italy on red alert, Hungary turns off the lights as Europe’s heatwave takes toll

ROME/BUDAPEST – Italy took the unprecedented step of placing all its major cities on the highest level of health alert due to high temperatures on Aug 6 while Hungary turned off the lights at some of its best-known buildings to save energy as a heatwave maintained its grip on large parts of Europe.Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent, has been ravaged by record-breaking heat and destructive wildfires this summer, with France and Spain particularly hard hit in recent weeks.The focus of the heatwave has since moved further east, with temperatures in Austria hitting successive national records this week, peaking at 41.2 deg C (106.2 deg F) on Aug 5.Italy is accustomed to hot summers, but the red alert issued by the Health Ministry stretches from Palermo on the southern island of Sici