Italian towns open cooling shelters as heatwave intensifies

Multiple Italian municipalities have opened climate‑controlled shelters to protect vulnerable residents during a severe heatwave. In Civitanova, the municipal senior centre will operate from 14:00 to 18:00 each day between 15 July and 31 August, offering free air‑conditioned space and transport for frail elders. Livorno mapped more than one hundred existing public sites – malls, churches, parks and shaded routes – as "rifugi climatici" where anyone can seek relief. The regional health authority in Tuscany issued a vademecum for nursing homes and private homes, urging temperature monitoring, reduced AC set‑points and advice on hydration and medication. In Poggio Torriana, a theatre‑type community centre operates three days a week as a "rifugio climatico", providing cooling, refreshments and activities for seniors, children and teenagers. Lombardy has activated "Cold Spot" units in the community houses of Cremona, Soresina, Casalmaggiore and Como, staffed by nurses and doctors to triage heat‑related symptoms without appointment and to refer serious cases to emergency services. All facilities are free, open daily during set hours, and aim to lessen emergency department overload while safeguarding the health of the elderly and other at‑risk groups.